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Edition 1231 March 18, 2010

CENTAUR SURVIVOR TELLS OF SINKING

PAGE 5

PAGES 20-21

PAGE 18

Governor-General Quentin Bryce takes an interest in the

extent of scarring on WO2 Dennis Ramsay’s legs, which

had to be amputated because of a severe illness. The

Governor-General was visiting participants in the first ADF Paralympics Sports Program.

Report: Page 3Photo by Sgt Brian Hartigan

Pte

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GAME ATRIBUTETO SGTLOCKE

OFFICIAL RAISING OF NEW BRIGADE

CARING CARING TOUCHTOUCH

2 NEWS Army March 18, 2010

DirectorRod Horan: (02) 6265 4650

EditorialEditorDavid Edlington: (02) 6266 7609Deputy EditorSharon Palmer: (02) 6266 7612Reporters:Sgt Andrew Hetherington: (02) 6266 7614Sgt Brian Hartigan: (02) 6265 2151Cpl Jane Ashby-Cliffe: (02) 6266 7606Cpl Zenith King: (02) 6266 7608Sydney photographer:Bill Cunneen: 0402 155 220

Contact usEmail: [email protected]: (02) 6265 6690Mail: The Editor, Army, R8-LG-038, Department of Defence, ACT 2600Web site: www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews

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Submission guidelinesArmy welcomes submissions of articles and photographs. Contributors should take note of the following guidelines:Articles: Must be Word documents and about 400 words. The story should cover the five Ws and one H – who, what, where, when, why and how. Avoid jargon and the overuse of acronyms. Always include the ranks, names and job titles of people mentioned in the article.Photographs: Must be sent electronically in a JPEG format. Set digital camera to highest quality setting so the photo will be printable. Every photo must be accompanied by details of who is pictured, what the event was, when and where the photo was taken and who took it.

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The Soldiers’ Newspaper

Face of Army

Focused: Pte Kim McIntosh, MTF 1, patrols in the Mirabad Valley region. Photo by Sgt Mick Davis

By Sgt Brian Hartigan

THE war on alcohol abuse is well under way and a culture of change is already noticeable at the grass-roots level, accord-ing to RSM 3 Bde WO1 Grant McFarlane.

While Lt-Gen Gillespie’s words may have been a wake-up call for many, the problem has been tar-geted across north Queensland for more than two years.

“Here in 3 Bde, on top of the mandatory training, we have also come up with a stand-alone alcohol awareness-type package, designed by 3CSSB, that is available to all brigade units and, in fact, all units across north Queensland,” WO1 McFarlane said.

“Another initiative is the driver attitude workshop. The way it works is that, on behalf of the brigade, the Townsville RSL facilitates this package for us in conjunction with the Queensland Pol ice Service, Queensland Prisons, Queensland Ambulance Service, military psychs and oth-ers – and with support from the Paraplegic Association of North Queensland.

“This also includes a ‘look after your mates’ package that I designed.”

He said the program had been running for about two years and he

By Maj Al Green

SOME of the last Townsville-based troops to leave Afghanistan had one more stop before going on well-deserved leave.

They took part in Operation Reset, a pro-gram of briefings, decompression training and rest coordinated by HQ 3 Bde for all soldiers returning from overseas service.

Briefings covered a variety of aspects critical to enable the soldiers to smoothly transition to the workplace and family life after their eight-month deployment. Topics included mental health, financial literacy, veterans’ entitlements and equity issues.

Presenters included representatives from the ADF Consumer Council, Veterans’ Affairs Department, Veterans and Veterans’ Families Counselling Service, Rehabilitation Manager, Defence Community Organisation, and Defence Relocations and Housing.

Partners and families were also invited to attend Operation Reset. Commander 3 Bde Brig Stuart Smith said families played a major role in the reintegration of each soldier and he was keen to ensure they were informed and fully supported.

For some families in the audience, the day had special significance with two wounded sol-diers belatedly receiving decorations they paid for so dearly – Pte Paul Warren, who lost a leg last year, received his Infantry Combat Badge and Spr Colby Macdonald, who lost an eye a month ago, his campaign medals.

Both soldiers said they were determined to continue serving.

“As long as I can shoot I can do my job like any other sapper in the Army,” Spr Macdonald said.

Spr Macdonald’s wife Stacey said the “sup-port we’ve received has been absolutely fantas-tic. It’s made it a lot easier.”

She said her husband’s positive attitude also helped.

Brig Smith said a key part of resettlement was to ensure the soldiers were supported in the area of mental health, especially with about 5 per cent of the force having been wounded, and

with high and repeated exposure to danger, com-bined with separation from loved ones, having the potential for a cumulative effect on soldiers.

“You can’t go through that and see some of your mates wounded – and Pte Benjamin Ranaudo tragically killed in action – without being affected,” Brig Smith said.

“The important thing for them is to under-stand the warning signs of difficult adjustment and to help them go through that process with their families.”

CO 1RAR Lt-Col Andrew Hocking said it

was important that troops felt free to access mental- and physical-health support.

“I constantly reinforce to soldiers that there is no stigma in asking for help,” Lt-Col Hocking said.

“We understand the need to look after each other, our families and our mates, and there’s no stigma in reaching out now.

“The positive aspect is that, with appropriate treatment, evidence shows that most soldiers who require mental-health support will recover and return to work.”

Resetting the balance

Soldiers acting on alcohol messages

had noticed a marked decrease in alcohol-related incidents.

“I do think it is having an effect on the ground and we are getting great feedback from the soldiers who participate in this program,” WO1 McFarlane said.

“It is the commander’s direc-tion that every JNCO and above must attend one of the workshops, and that anybody who had been involved in any alcohol-related or driving incident must also attend as part of their rehabilitation.

“We try to run one of these every quarter – and that’s hap-pened over the past two years,” he said. “Of course, it depends on getting all those organisations together at the same time, but so far we have had excellent support from all of them.”

WO1 McFarlane said that from

his point of view, looking after sol-diers had always been a leadership issue, with alcohol awareness and alcohol abuse prevention being a big part of that.

“It’s a proactive thing and a junior leader thing – actually it’s a basic leadership thing in so far as even a private can be a leader in fixing some of these problems.

“The Commander and I meet all the soldiers at the airport when they get back from deployment and we make the point that the soldiers should look out for each other.

“They’ve been working well together as a team for nearly 10 months and they shouldn’t stop that teamwork when they get back to their units and should continue to look out for each other.”

He said that while the Army reflected trends in society, he did not think soldiers drank as much as they used to in his day.

“I think they certainly have a much better understanding of the consequences of what they can and can’t do these days,” he said.

“We train the soldiers a lot bet-ter today and they are more profes-sional, lining up for one operation after another. I truly believe the message about alcohol is getting down to the lowest levels and the soldiers are listening.”

Tremendous support: Spr Colby Macdonald, his wife Stacey and their children Ricoand Bronte. Photo by Suzanne Lowe, Townsville Bulletin

Full bottle: 3 Bde conducts alcohol-awareness training.

MTF 1 has been involved in several small skirmishes since arriving in Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province last month.

This includes an attack on February 21 when soldiers on a routine security patrol in the Mirabad Valley region, north-east of Tarin Kowt, came under small-arms fire from a small number of insurgents.

Supported by Afghan sol-diers from a nearby forward operating base, the Australian patrol immediately reacted to the attack by engaging the insurgent position with small-arms fire before clearing and securing the area.

No Australian, Afghan sol-diers or civilians were wounded or killed during the contact. A local grazed his legs on rocks during the incident and was treated on the spot.

Patrol commander Cpl Matthew Mckeever was impressed by the way his men responded to the threat.

“I didn’t have to second guess them, they knew where to go,” he said.

Maj-Gen John Cantwell, Commander of the Australian Joint Task Force in the MEAO, said he was pleased with MTF 1’s “ability to come in straight from Australia and start the mission as though they had been here a long time”.

MTF 1 in minor contacts

NEWS 3 Army March 18, 2010


THE inaugural ADF Paralympics Sports Program (ADFPSP) brought five wounded and severely injured sol-diers together in Canberra from March 1-5 to foster teamwork, conduct fitness and ability testing, and conduct spe-cialist physical training and rehabilita-tion sessions.

ADFPSP, a Joint Health Command program, also assists in improving career prospects for ADF members with severe restrictions.

Among the five Army members who participated in the camp were WO2 Dennis Ramsay, who lost both legs through severe illness, and Pte Liam Haven, who was blinded in an IED blast in Iraq.

WO2 Ramsay is an accomplished wheelchair basketballer. Through the camp, Pte Haven was identified as hav-ing potential in field events and hopes to compete in a national event next month.

WO2 Ramsay said this was the first of what was intended to be a biannual camp and, while it was all Army mem-bers this time – by circumstance rather than design – subsequent camps would include RAAF and Navy members.

“This camp was designed to look at everybody with restrictions through either battle cas, serious illness or injury within the ADF,” WO2 Ramsay said.

“It also gives us opportunities to meet other ADF members with restrictions, and will be beneficial for us as individu-als and, by extension, the ADF. At the end of the day what we are getting out of this is a lot of motivation as well as career and lifestyle opportunities.”

Pte Haven said the camp gave wound-ed or injured personnel in Defence a chance to explore options in rehabilita-tion and sport, and to take their career in a new direction.

“The Defence Force and the Australian Institute of Sport have got together and developed this program to recognise pos-sible talent for sport,” he said.

“It’s modelled on what other forces do – recognising that even though mem-bers are injured, they are still fit, have endurance and are highly motivated.

“I went pretty good in the assess-ment. They say I have possible talent

for shot put and discus, so I’m pretty happy about that. I might be going to the nationals in Perth.”

He said while he was keen to get into sport and looked forward to the training regime he would be given, he also want-ed to advance his career within Defence.

“Obviously it would be good to excel at something enjoyable and be the best I can be at something, but life goes on too,” Pte Haven said.

“At the moment I’m at the last little bit of my rehabilitation and am at the stage where I’m just about ready to get back into employment.

“Defence has been very supportive so far, exhausting all avenues to find jobs for me. At the moment I’m looking at a course at the School of Languages and then a possible transfer to Intelligence Corps and, hopefully, a posting to a human int cell.”

WO2 Ramsay also has a new posting as the training development officer for movements and postal at Bandiana.

“I really can’t fault Defence in the way they are looking after us,” he said.

“It’s not like the old days when if you were broken you were turfed out. Today there’s a plan in place and a Defence instruction written.

“So, while you wouldn’t get in to Defence with a disability, acquiring a disability by any means when you are a member is no longer cause for discharge.

“Also, on a practical level, workplac-es are being modified for wheelchair access. My own workplace is even hav-ing a lift installed, and special showers.”

Pte Haven said Defence’s new atti-tude towards restricted members and rehabilitation had been important to him right from the start.

“When I was in hospital, I was reas-sured almost straight away that I would be taken care of. Hearing that so early made my experience a lot easier,” he said.

“Instead of experiencing massive ups and downs and depressive spells, it was actually quite smooth because I knew I had job security.”

When asked for his assessment of the sport camp overall, Pte Haven’s most critical feedback reflected more basic needs. “Please give us fatty food – I don’t know how much more tofu and rice crackers I can take.”

Top care for body and mind Helping hand: WO2 Simon O’Regan guides Pte Liam Haven, left, around a running track at the Australian

Institute of Sport during a talent assessment. Photo by Mark Brennan

Encouraging words: Governor-General Quentin Bryce talks with participants in the inaugural ADF Paralympics Sports Program. Photo by Sgt Brian Hartigan

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By Fiona van der Plaat

MORE than 47,000 military personnel will be urged to overcome their “sur-vey fatigue” and take part in the ADF’s biggest ever health check.

Col Stephanie Hodson, Joint Health Command’s (JHC) director of mental health, said a survey of ADF personnel, starting in May, would begin a wide-scale review of the health status of mem-bers and veterans.

JHC and the Centre for Military and Veterans’ Health have joined forces to run the review, known as the Military Health Outcomes Program (MilHop).

“The opening survey is a state-of-the-nation census that will tell us about the health and wellbeing of the ADF,” Lt-Col Hodson said.

“If we don’t know what the problems are, we can’t fix them.”

The next step would be to take the pulse of veterans’ health.

Lt-Col Hodson said she understood any feelings within the ranks of being “over-surveyed”.

“But this is an area in which they can make a real difference. It is strongly endorsed by the CDF, JHC and all the services, and will lead to real improve-ments in health care for serving members and veterans,” she said.

More than 25,000 members who are serving, or have served, in the Middle East will be invited to take part, along with a “comparison group” of about 22,000 personnel with other military experience and deployments.

One of the aims of the program is to identify the physical and psychologi-

What might be asked:� How much exercise do you do?� Do you smoke?� How much do you drink?� How stressed are you?� What challenging experiences have

you faced and how did you cope?� How do you usually cope with

stress?

The survey is:� Voluntary.� Confidential (neither ADF nor DVA

will be told personal particulars).� Fully supported by the CDF and

services.� Run by university health experts

(from the universities of Adelaide and Queensland).

� Sent to members online or by mail.

Time for a health check-up

cal effects of deployment, flag patterns between types of exposure and specific health problems, and pinpoint things that seem to help people cope.

Col Hodson said the initial surveys would ask participants about their experi-ences in service or on deployment, the state of their mental and physical health, and their access to care. It would also look for potential barriers to good health and wellbeing.

The voluntary and confidential survey is said to take less than 45 minutes to complete, on paper or online. CDF ACM Angus Houston has given permission for it to be filled out during work time.

For more details, phone the study team on 1800 886 567 or email [email protected]

SURVEY AT A GLANCE

By Cpl Jane Ashby-Cliffe

NOT everyone carries a combat first aid (CFA) kit in their car boot but luckily for one Sydney woman Cpl James Cottle is always pre-pared.

The driver for HQ 17 CSSB’s commander was first on the scene of an horrific two-car accident in Sydney on March 1.

Cpl Cottle grabbed his CFA kit and quickly assessed the crash site before rendering life-saving first aid to a woman trapped in the wreck.

The woman’s door was blocked by the second vehicle but Cpl Cottle climbed through the back seat of the car to reach her.

“She was dropping in and out of consciousness but managed to tell me she had neck and back pain,” he said.

“I noticed she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and realised she had hit the windscreen, so I knew I had to act quickly.

“I braced her neck, supported her spine and, for what seemed like an hour but was only five minutes, I kept her conscious and reassured her until paramedics arrived.”

He remained in place as emergen-cy services used the “jaws of life” to free the woman from the wreck.

Praised for his efforts by emer-gency-service personnel and the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, Cpl Cottle is thankful for his training through the Army CFA course and St John Ambulance.

But, it’s not the first time he has

Quick thinking praised

attended to accident victims. In the past five years Cpl Cottle has pro-vided first aid at four separate vehi-cle accidents.

“I believe being in the wrong place at the right time so many

times has helped me to react quickly but calmly in serious situations,” he said.

“My RSM asked me if I had missed my calling and maybe I should be a medic.”

Missed calling: Cpl James Cottle and his much-used medical kit.

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By Lt Jillian Gaze

ARMY’S newest formation, 6 Bde (CS & ISTAR), was officially raised on March 1 at a ceremony at Victoria Barracks, Sydney.

Commander Forcomd Maj-Gen David Morrison and 6 Bde Commander Brig Jeffery Sengelman presided over the cer-emony. They both emphasised the impor-tance of the brigade to Army’s ongoing commitment to innovation and adaptive-ness.

Maj-Gen Morrison highlighted 6 Bde’s history and its vital role in the Army’s future.

“The raising of 6 Bde is key to Adaptive Army. The formation is in response to the pressing need to group together important units to increase the relevance of training for the Army’s future,” he said.

Combat Support and Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Group worked solidly for the past eight months to prepare for its inception as 6 Bde (CS & ISTAR).

The new formation brings together under one command specialist units from six of the eight Battlefield Operating Systems in order to improve capability development and support to operations.

Before cutting the cake to celebrate the milestone, Brig Sengelman told brigade members and guests from HQ Forcomd that “it is a special privilege to command this exciting new brigade”.

“I am looking forward to working as part of the Army team and joint partners to help realise 6 Bde’s full potential,” he said.

Maj-Gen Morrison presented Brig Sengelman with the signed and framed CA’s Order of the Day formally raising the brigade.

Sig Alex Colta from 51FNQR – one of 6 Bde’s 11 units – said being part of a brigade made it clearer where his unit ‘fits in within the Army’.

“I think this will mean greater capa-bilities and resources by working togeth-er,” Sig Colta said. “Being part of a bri-gade will give me more chances to be involved in exercises and operations so I


6 Bde (CS&ISTAR) units� 1 Ground Liaison Group � 1 Intelligence Battalion � 2/30 Training Group � 6 Engineer Support Regiment � 7 Signal Regiment � 16 Air Defence Regiment � 19 Chief Engineer Works � 20 Surveillance and Target

Acquisition Regiment � 51 Far North Queensland Regiment � North West Mobile Force (Norforce) � The Pilbara Regiment

Proud history� Formed in early 1915, 6 Bde was

sent to Gallipoli and later the Western Front.

� On the Western Front, the brigade was involved in a number of major battles, most notably at Hamel, where under the overall command of General Monash, 6 Bde broke the German defensive line.

� In World War II, 6 Bde was involved in the protection of Australia along with fighting in New Guinea and New Britain.

� 6 Bde continued in several roles through to the 1990s when it was part of the Ready Reserve. In late 1996, after the decision was made to discontinue the Ready Reserve Scheme, 6 Bde was disbanded, and its units were merged with others and reallocated to 7 Bde.

Key to adaptability

will have more opportunities to learn new skills working with different people.”

Pte Renars Otto, posted to the bri-gade’s HQ, was excited about the new formation and to have the honour of cut-ting the cake with his commander.

“This is a new start to an old tradition. It lets us be part of Army’s history and gives us opportunities to learn and put into practice the skills of the 21st century soldier,” Pte Otto said.

The ceremony was followed by a morning tea to celebrate not only the birth of the new brigade but also the Army’s 109th birthday.

Warm best wishes: Commander Forcomd Maj-Gen David Morrison greets Commander 6 Bde Brig Jeffery Sengelman by the sign marking the Army’s newest brigade. Photo by Felicity Hibble

Keeping up tradition: Brig Sengelman and the youngest member, Pte Renars Otto, cut the brigade cake. Photo by Bill Cunneen

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By Lt Carrie Miner

FUTURE bilateral activities and exchanges were discussed at the inaugural Australia-India Army Staff Talks.

DCA Maj-Gen Paul Symon and s t a ff f rom In t e rna t iona l Engagement – Army (IE-A) success-fully hosted the talks in Brisbane and Sydney from February 15-20.

The Indian delegation’s visit fol-lows Maj-Gen Symon’s and CA Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie’s visit to India in 2009.

The delegation consisted of Maj-Gen Rajesh Singh, Additional Director-General In ternat ional Cooperation; Col Paramjit Minhas, Director Military Intelligence Foreign Division; Col Sahaj Sah, Director Infantry 7; and Capt Jatinder Singh, Defence Adviser, Indian High Commission, Canberra.

The event featured presentations from Forcomd and HQ 1 Div, and a display of 7 Bde assets from 2/14 LHR (QMI), 6RAR, 20 STA Regt and Army Explosive Hazards Centre, (6ESR).

The Indian delegation enjoyed briefs from COs to diggers within an infantry section or scout troop in rela-tion to roles, functions, equipment and weaponry.

Equipment on display included Bushmasters, ASLAVs, ground sur-veillance radar, thermal surveillance systems, Skylark and Scaneagle UAVs, and military robots Talon and Tiador.

During a visit to Holsworthy, the Indian delegation was informed about 2 Cdo Regt’s role and tasks.

THE 2009 Public Defence Capability Plan (DCP) has been updated. Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science Minister Greg Combet said the plan contained significant opportunities for Australian industry. “Between 2009/10 and 2013/14, the DMO predicts approximately $30 billion will be spent in the domestic economy,” he said.

The DCP is available at www.defence.gov.au/dmo

It then toured the Special Forces Training Facility.

Maj-Gen Singh said the Indian del-egates enjoyed the experience, which was “part of defence’s cooperation ini-tiative with the Australian Army”.

“We come as a part of that to build

confidence and develop and build solid working relationships based on expe-riences and vast practices with both armies in counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, disaster relief and humani-tarian assistance,” he said.

The talks will be held every two

years to improve communication, understanding and mutual learning, as well as to organise future visits, cours-es and the exchange of personnel.

“It’s all about dialogue and get-ting to know each other in this type of environment,” Maj-Gen Symon said.

Bilateral talks on agenda

SEVERAL Army employment categories are set to benefit from pay-grade movements fol-lowing changes in a number of other-rank skill grades under the GORPS ’09 review process.

Employment categories across eight corps underwent changes to their structures during the review process last year and, as a result, Army made several submissions to the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal in October seeking pay adjustments.

These adjustments were approved and the results will take effect from pay day March 18.

DGPers-A Brig Gerard Fogarty said GORPS ’09 was not the end of the review process, with employ-ment categories continuing to be reviewed throughout 2010.

“These reviews are part of an ongoing process to ensure our peo-ple receive appropriate levels of remuneration,” he said.

Members will be able to view their new placement from March 18 through the ‘Where Have I Been Placed’ tables on the GORPS DRN webpage at: http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/Sites/dppa/comweb.asp?page=73676&Title=IR/REM

All ears: Capt Jatinder Singh, left, and Maj-Gen Rajesh Singh of the Indian Army, along with Brig Paul McLachlan, Commander 7 Bde, listen to Cpl Tim Cooper, C Sqn, 2/14 LHR (QMI,) explain the role and equipment of the cav scouts. Photo by LCpl Chad Anderson

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By Michael Brooke

THE establishment of 173 Avn Sqn and the arrival of 6 Avn Regt’s first Bell 206B Kiowa Light Utility Helicopter were marked by a parade at Luscombe Army Airfield at Holsworthy Barracks.

The parade, on February 11, heralded the return of the Kiowa to Luscombe Army Airfield for the first time since November 1994, when the air-field was home to 161 Recce Sqn.

To star t proceedings, three Kiowas from 173 Avn Sqn swooped from the sky to land on the airfield, where the remainder of 6 Avn Regt were lined up to welcome them.

CO 6 Avn Regt Lt-Col Steve Jobson welcomed the new members, saying it was a significant day for both the squadron and the regiment.

He passed a 173 Avn Sqn flag, that was donated by the members of the previous 173 Survl Sqn, to the new OC, Maj Andrew Middleton. The flag was later raised at the squad-ron’s new HQ in the presence of squadron members and official guests.

Lt-Col Jobson said 173 Avn Sqn would initially operate four Kiowas from Luscombe Army Airfield but this would increase to eight by August, when work would start on upgrading the helicop-ter’s avionics suite.

He said 173 Avn Sqn had a distinguished history and that its personnel should con-tinue to embrace the Redback Spider emblem, which it had adopted in 1992.

The CO said Combat Team ‘Redback’ would complement

6 Avn Regt as part of Battle Group Cavalier, which relates to 16 Avn Bde’s aim to use any of its regimental HQs from 1, 5, and 6 Avn Regt to command a battle group drawn from across the brigade or from other Army forma-tions.

Commander Forcomd Maj-Gen David Morrison thanked the Army Aviation personnel who worked tirelessly to have 173 Avn Sqn re-formed and flying in such a short time.

He said the CA directive to establish 173 Avn Sqn was only signed on July 23 last year but through the efforts and commitment of a hard-working project team, includ-ing personnel from HQ 16 Avn Bde, the Army Aviation Systems Project Office and Boeing Defence Australia – which will initially main-tain the aircraft under contract – Combat Team Redback was ready for business on February 11.

Maj-Gen Morrison said 173 Avn Sqn had joined a regiment “that has a very enviable reputation that will carry Army Aviation into the future”.

The youngest pilot in 173 Avn Sqn, Lt Zac Hanson-Boyd, said he was excited about joining 6 Avn Regt.

“It’s really great to get into a squadron so soon, espe-cially one with such a posi-tive environment where there is the opportunity to learn from many very experienced pilots,” he said.

Dignitaries at the parade included Army Aviat ion Honorary Colonel Maj-Gen Jim Molan (retd) and Commander 16 Avn Bde Brig Shane Elder.

Team effort raises sqn

New bird: Youngest member Lt Zac Hanson-Boyd, Maj-Gen David Morrison and OC 173 Avn Sqn Maj Andrew Middleton at Holsworthy. Photo byMichael Brooke

Smart Soldier is a Restricted publication that comes out three times a year. It is produced by the Centre for Army Lessons and is sent free to your unit. Smart Soldier is full of operational, training and general lessons, observations and tips.All soldiers should read Smart Soldier.If you don’t have easy access to Smart Soldier, ask your chain-of-command for a copy or call 03 5735 7102 to see if it is being delivered to your unit.

Smart Soldier

Inside your latest issue of Smart SoldierSoldiering in AfghanistanA recent CA Lessons Seminar provided a range of observations relating to soldiering in Afghanistan. ContactCAL interviewed soldiers that fought the enemy in contacts. This article provides observations from these experiences.General Shooting TipsSoldiers competing at AASAM in 2009 provide tips on shooting. This information is enhanced with additional comments by the ADF Small Arms Policy and Safety Branch.Soldier’s FiveSee what is new with MCBAS.

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By WO2 Graham McBean

MEMBERS of 2/14 LHR (QMI) celebrated 150 years from horses to horsepower at their Gallipoli Barracks home on February 27.

First raised as the Brisbane Mounted Rifles, the present-day troopers commemorated their unit’s long and unique lineage in the Australian Army.

The occasion began with a for-mal early morning commemora-tion of the sacrifices of previous generations.

The service was followed by a regimental breakfast and then moved on to an open day for fam-ily and friends.

CO 2/14 LHR (QMI) Lt-Col Chris Mills said it was a great day for the regiment to celebrate the achievements of past and present generations.

He said the anniversary provid-ed the opportunity to give families a greater understanding of what it was their partners did.

“There are 22 battle honours emblazoned on the guidons, rep-resenting significant blood sweat and tears from the generations that

have gone before us,” Lt-Col Mills said.

“That history dates back to the Queensland Shearers’ Strike in 1891, to the Boer War and to our current commitments, noting we currently have 122 soldiers deployed on operations.”

Lt-Col Mills said the long his-tory was an integral part of the unit’s culture and helped to inspire soldiers in living up to its proud heritage.

Tpr Cory Holland has deployed twice on operations to Afghanistan in his four-year military career.

He knows only too well the importance of tradition within mili-tary culture with a Light Horseman great-grandfather and a brother serving in the Army as well.

Tpr Holland said his great-grandfather was an important part of his decision to join the Army.

“I was always interested in the Army and I think that is proba-bly because of the family history – you just want to live up to what they did,” Tpr Holland said. “It is important to remember our history and our unit’s is something to look back on and be proud of.”


A proud heritage

Period dress: Sgt Roy Seamons, C Sqn, 2/14 LHR (QMI) – a member of Queensland Mounted Infantry Historical Troop – delivers an address on Quinn’s Post at Gallipoli which became a Battle Honour for the unit.

Special moment: (Inset) CO 2/14 LHR (QMI) Lt-Col Chris Mills watches as the unit’s youngest soldier, Tpr Billy Quinlan, C Sqn, 2/14 LHR (QMI), cuts the regiment’s 150th birthday cake.

Taking aim: (Top right) Tpr Tim Heaney, C Sqn, 2/14 LHR (QMI), oversees the Minimi handling of open day visitor Keith Gatehouse. Photos by LCpl Chad Anderson

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By WO2 Graham McBean

CA Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie took time out from a busy schedule at Gallipoli Barracks on February 24 to recognise outstanding service to the Army.

The senior Army leadership convened at 7 Bde’s newly opened headquarters for the Senior Advisory Committee meeting and Promotion Advisory Committee for senior offic-er postings to one-star positions over February 23-24.

The CA presented the ‘I’m an Australian Soldier Scholarship’ to LCpl Luke Rawnsley, 2HSB – one of four soldiers to receive the annual award.

He said the scholarship was very competitive and highlighted the con-tributions to the Army from “four great young leaders”.

“I congratulate LCpl Rawnsley on an outstanding performance and his courage, leadership and initiative,” he said.

The scholarship recipients will tour the Gallipoli peninsula to study the campaign and attend the Anzac Day service.

CA also presented the Federation Star to WO1 Jim Vorrias, 7CSSB;

WO2 Richard Cooley, 11CSS Team; and Sgt Judy Alterator, Army Financial Services Unit.

The CA said it was important to recognise 40 years of faithful serv-ice to the Army but also thanked the families of the three senior soldiers who received the award.

“We get a lot of the glory but

it is clear to me that a lot of the glory should be directed to those who remain here at home,” Lt-Gen Gillespie said.

“To the families of soldiers I say thank you very much.”

The CA also met with the spouses of 7 Bde’s deployed soldiers for an informal chat.

Service, talent rewarded

Faithful service: Jo Cooley, WO2 Richard Cooley, Karen Vorrias, WO1 Jim Vorrias, CA Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie, Sgt Judy Alterator and WO1 Gary Alterator celebrate the awarding of three Federation Stars.

Congratulations: LCpl Luke Rawnsley, 2HSB, meets CA. LCpl Rawnsley’s outstanding service has earned him a place with three other scholarship winners at the Anzac Day service at Gallipoli this year. Photos by Cpl Kim Allen

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By Sgt Andrew Hetherington

MORE than 300 personnel attend-ed Army’s 109th birthday cele-brations, held for the first time at the Australian War Memorial, on March 1.

In changing the venue from the Blamey Square parade ground at Russell Offices, CA Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie said he thought the Memorial was a more appropriate location.

“I specifically wanted the cel-ebration to be memorable while being at the same time low key,” Lt-Gen Gillespie said.

“In terms of memorable, I want-ed to achieve a balance between being solemn, being proud and being happy about, or content with, who we are.”

During his speech he emphasised

the importance of the service of past and current members.

“Nothing could be more poign-ant than to stand here, around the Pool of Reflection, surrounded by the over 102,000 names of those who have fallen for the many caus-es our nation has felt necessary to answer with arms over the past 11 decades,” Lt-Gen Gillespie said.

“How special is it to stand in front of the tomb of our unknown soldier to recall the multitude of events and battles which have shaped the Australian nation, our Army and us. To be able to say to the spirits of all of these fallen com-rades, ‘thank you digger, your sacri-fice was not in vain’.”

He said family was also impor-tant to the Army’s success.

“I wanted today’s celebration to be a family event, to signify that we

in uniform achieve nothing without the support, love and understanding of our families,” he said.

“It is often our families who bear the biggest burden when we deploy, and then return changed forever by our experiences.”

After the parade, personnel and their families ate breakfast and the Army birthday cake in Anzac Hall.

The youngest member of AHQ, Pte Stephen King, said it was the second time he had cut an Army birthday cake.

“I was stabbed for the cake-cut-ting last year,” he said. “It was a welcome change to attend the parade at a different location. It was humbling to stand by the pool of reflection during the service.”

Lt-Gen Gillespie intends to hold Army’s 110th birthday celebrations at the Memorial next year.

Celebrations in fine style

Special occasion: CA addresses the gathering at the Australian War Memorial. Photo by Sgt Andrew Hetherington

Chocaholic: Chef Cpl Andrew Hamilton finishes the 13CSSB cake.

Gripping: CA Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie and Pte Stephen King make the cut.

Afghanistan: Lt-Col Daryl Campbell and Pte Anthony Cocuzzoli.

Big smile: Pte Lisa Almeida, HQ Forcomd, divvies up the 6 Bde cake.

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12 WORLD NEWS Army March 18, 2010

By Lt Aaron Oldaker

MEDICS from the SOTG are filling a critical role on board American heli-copters for combat and civilian medical emergencies in southern Afghanistan.

During the Afghan winter so far, SOTG medics have flown on more than 60 aeromedical evacuation (AME) mis-sions aboard the American helicopters stationed in Tarin Kowt from 1 Bn 82 Avn Regt, known as Task Force Wolfpack.

In addition to providing lifesaving battlefield medical support for combat-ants from Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and insurgents alike, SOTG medics aboard Task Force Wolfpack’s Black Hawk helicopters have also pro-vided emergency medical assistance to the general population of Oruzgan.

SOTG medic WO2 N said this was one of the most exciting and rewarding roles he had undertaken in his military career.

“Each medic that’s rotary-wing AME qualified rotates in for two days. We start at lunchtime and stay for 48 hours,” he said.

“So we always have one medic down at the flightline, living there with the Americans, ready to depart within five minutes.”

He said when an SOTG medic com-mences a shift at the Tarin Kowt flightline with Task Force Wolfpack, they can never be sure what to expect, but all missions begin the same way – with a radio mes-sage called a Nine Liner – the message format used by ISAF forces in the field when calling for emergency medical sup-port.

“You’ll hear ‘nine liner, nine liner, nine liner’ called from the command post.

“At that point you run to the aircraft and you’ll be in the air within six to eight minutes.

“We’re called out to anything in the AO. The patients can be local nationals for any kind of medical emergency at all, plus battlefield casualties from American, Dutch, Australian and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) – we are the pri-mary evacuation means in the AO.”

It gives the medics here clinical train-ing and experience between other jobs outside the wire.

“It’s exciting stuff,” WO2 N said. “But by far the most rewarding part

is SOTG medics have the opportunity to provide real hands-on assistance to the people of Afghanistan during medi-cal emergencies when we are needed the most, and at the end of the day that’s the reason we are here – to help the people of Afghanistan.”

Some of the missions involving the local population they have supported recently have included attending to chil-dren with burns from household acci-dents, locals injured in motor vehicle accidents, an infant with suspected poi-soning, and a case of appendicitis.

Task Force Wolfpack’s medevac detachment commander in Tarin Kowt Capt Christine Downs said SOTG’s sup-port to their AME mission in Oruzgan was critical.

“Our AME teams are in charge of pro-viding all AME in the region,” she said.

“We provide support for the US, coali-tion, ANSF and local nationals – anyone who gets injured.

“We launch in any weather conditions day or night to go pick them up and take them to the hospital at Tarin Kowt, Camp Bastion or Kandahar,” she said.

Watching over youSOTG medics play vital role in emergency pack

Air ambulance: Medics from the SOTG depart with US forces on another aeromedical evacuation mission from the flight line at Tarin Kowt. Photo by Lt Aaron Oldaker

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WORLD NEWS 13 Army March 18, 2010

By Captain Al McPherson

A CRITICAL part of Australian opera-tions in Afghanistan’s Oruzgan prov-ince is the search for IEDs laid by Taliban insurgents.

Explosives detection dog (EDD) Bundy and his handler Spr David Brown are part of a wider effort to find and destroy the dangerous devices.

Bundy and Spr Brown work within the MTF 1 and have been in Afghanistan since late January.

Bundy enlisted and was certified as an EDD in May 2009 after he was discovered at a Brisbane City Council pound by his handlers.

“Bundy was a stray that was picked up by the pound,” Spr Brown said.

“He didn’t have a name so we got to name him and that is pretty rare.

“People ask me if I named him after the drink but I actually named him after the City of Bundaberg in Queensland.”

The Army selects dogs for explosives detection from pounds and other sources including Customs and police. These dogs have usually been deemed unsuit-able for Customs and police work.

The best dogs tend to be mixed breed working dogs such as kelpies, border collies, and labrador crosses.

“We like to get them when they are between 18 to 24 months old so that most of the silly puppy stage is over,” Spr Brown said. “I’ve trained Bundy

since he joined and we have a close bond. He’s a great dog, loves working and just loves being around us.”

When travelling out to the field Bundy gets his own seat, complete with seat belt, inside the Bushmaster.

Once in the field, Bundy conducts searches for IEDs. It’s a dangerous job for everyone including the EDDs, but Spr Brown said Bundy received ongoing training to keep him focused.

“Boredom from lack of interaction with other dogs is the biggest issue for EDDs but we conduct regular training with them and interact with them to pre-vent this type of kennel boredom.”

Inside the bases in Afghanistan, Bundy and the other EDDs receive atten-tion from the soldiers, which forms a surrogate pack for socialisation. The attention is managed by the handler to prevent a loss of focus in the dogs.

“Every dog is an individual,” Spr Brown said.

“Some dogs are more attention-focused than others, so if they spend too much time getting attention from the troops they may tend to lose their focus and, of course, I don’t want that to hap-pen.”

EDDs generally serve in the Army for six or seven years. On retirement, they are given up for adoption by suitably screened families to live out a relaxed and peaceful life.

Nose on the line

Dog on board: Bundy with handler Spr David Brown and other MTF 1 soldiers head out on patrol in a Bushmaster.

Paws for thought: Explosive detection dogs (left to right) Bolt, Bundy, Que, Aussie, Solo and Tank are all ears on a Dutch Apache helicopter at Tarin Kowt. Inset: Spr David Brown with Bundy. Photos by Sgt Mick Davis


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OBSTACLES are usually barriers to maintaining fitness, but, in the case of the Tarin Kowt Survival Run, held on February 28, obsta-cles were used to challenge the competitors.

Two hundred survivalists, includ-ing Dutch and Australian soldiers, along with a few brave contractors, Americans and Slovaks, took on 19 hair-raising obstacles over a hilly 8km course.

All were out for a good time, a free t-shirt and the glory of a plac-

ing or the glory of simply finishing the gruelling course set up by MTF 1 PTI Sgt Brady Whittaker and his Dutch counterpart.

Competitors scaled shipping con-tainers, climbed ropes, scrambled up cargo nets, dove into skips full of icy water, and lugged ammunition boxes around pillars and through concrete pipes.

“The obstacles integrated any-thing and everything in and around Camp Holland,” Sgt Whittaker said.

In the end, it was a SOTG soldier

who conquered the course and took out the inaugural mantle – a new twist on the usual fortnightly fun run at the Multinational Base in Tarin Kowt.

MTF 1’s Capt Hayden Pickering and WO2 Laurence Smith complet-ed the course individually and then teamed up to do it again in the pairs category.

However, a Dutch team, clad in their signature spandex outfits, were too strong for the rest of the field and won the event.

Survival of fittest

Pushing the limits: The strain of competition shows as Capt Hayden Pickering, MTF 1, takes on the under/over obstacle. Photos by Sgt Mick Davis

Hanging out: Ptes Cindy and Yuette from the Royal Netherlands Army tackle a hill-climb obstacle, left, while an MTF 1 soldier gets caught in the nets.

Touch and go: Capt Pickering, left, and Sgt Brady Whittaker, MTF 1, scale the ropes in quick time during the base survival run at Camp Holland.

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AUSTRALIA’s military, police and civilian agencies are taking a joint approach to help stabilise and rebuild Afghanistan.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), AusAID, the Australian Federal Police and the ADF, are improving security, governance and development in Oruzgan province.

ADF and government representatives are delivering projects that are improving the lives of the Afghan people.

Some of the projects, which will have a significant impact on the population in Tarin Kowt, include a new waste manage-ment facility, a boy’s primary school and high school, a girl’s school and numerous water crossings in the province.

The CO of the recently returned MRTF 2, Lt-Col Andrew Hocking, said development was critical to winning the enduring support of the population.

“We have been focused on mentoring the Afghan National Army for the past few years and slowly but surely, the ANA is starting to stand on their own,” Lt-Col Hocking said.

“By improving the security situation, we are creating better conditions for gov-ernance, reconstruction and development efforts into areas such as the Mirabad valley region.”

DFAT’s senior civilian representative in Oruzgan province, Peter Macfarlane, said the whole-of-government approach was critical to capitalise on the work already done to stabilise the province.

“We’ve all got different interests and angles to pursue, but we are able to do it in a very concerted way and a co-operative and collaborative way,” Mr Macfarlane said.

AusAID development adviser Kate Elliott said ADF assistance was essential.

“While there are an increasing number of non-government agencies operating in Oruzgan, it’s still very hard to go out and monitor projects effec-tively,” Ms Elliott said.

“We rely on the ADF to provide pro-tection and also the experience of the engineers to undertake site inspections to make sure Australia’s aid is being spent effectively.”

Further supporting the effort, the AFP is engaged in police development activi-ties with Afghan National Police recruits as part of an approved national police training program.

To date more than 600 police have graduated from the Provincial Training Centre in Tarin Kowt, with further recruit courses scheduled for 2010.

AFP contingent commander Frank Jamieson said the wider effort by the Australian Government to support the stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan would ultimately have a global impact.

“It is important to remember our objective in Afghanistan is to support the development of the rule of law and to enhance the capabilities of the Afghan National Police,” Commander Jamieson said.

Project engineer Capt Daniel Waugh said he was very happy with what the MRTF 2 Works Team achieved during its tour.

“You meet children that go to schools, people who use the crossings you’ve built to get to the bazaar and you can’t help but realise you have made a difference to some lives,” Capt Waugh said.

Teamwork pays off

Working together: AFP agent Bob Tait chats with Cpl Craig Turnbull, the handler of explosive detection dog Tank.

Secure presence: Spr Owen Perry, MTF 1, provides security for new Afghan National Police trainees at Multinational Base Tarin Kowt. Photos by Sgt Mick Davis

MAJ-GEN ASH Power has been appointed as the Senior Military Adviser to Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak.

In announcing the appointment Defence Minister John Faulkner said Maj-Gen Power would be the first officer to serve in the position after ISAF invited Australia to fill the new position.

“Maj-Gen Power has a highly distinguished career and this appointment reinforces that Australia’s com-mitment in Afghanistan is highly valued by our ISAF partners,” Mr Combet said.

Maj-Gen Power said he was pleased Australia was approached to fill this position.

“I look forward to the challenges and opportunities this role will present,” he said.

“My appointment as Minister Wardak’s Military Adviser will assist close coordina-tion of ISAF strategy and Afghan govern-ment policy.”

Australia has about 1550 troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of Op Slipper in sup-port of international efforts to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a safe-haven for terrorism.

Senator Faulkner also took the opportunity to wel-come Angus Campbell back to Defence on promotion to major general. Maj-Gen Campbell will replace Maj-Gen Power as Head of Military Strategic Commitments, effective from March 29. He most recently served as Deputy National Security Adviser in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Australian appointed to Afghan post

A first: Maj-Gen Ash Power.

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WORLD NEWS 17Army March 18, 2010

Changeover: Cdre Stuart Mayer hands over the ‘Warriors Sword’ to Col Simon Stuart (left), while Pte Nathania Baumanis lowers the ISF flag that flew during Cdre Mayer’s command (right).

Photos by AB Jo Dilorenzo

Supplies keep Wali happyBy Sgt Mick Davis

SOLDIERS from MTF 1 face harsh conditions living at Patrol Base Wali, from the ever-present dust to extreme cold.

The soldiers make the most of their scarce down-time, pumping iron in the gym, playing volley-ball with the Afghans, listening to music and, of course, joking around with one another.

The soldiers spark up at the arrival of care packages from home, which are delivered on regular supply convoys.

“We really love getting care packages,” LBdr Ryan Jack said. “I was stoked when my mum sent me popcorn.”

The soldiers don’t survive on care packages and combat rations alone. Once a day PB Wali’s Army cook whips up a nutritious meal from fresh produce, some-times bought from local markets.

Every soldier knows what it’s like living on combat rations, so it’s all boots on ground to help unload the fresh supplies when they arrive.

In Afghanistan, the patrol bases are well established and

fortified camps from which MTF 1, the Afghan National Army and Dutch troops operate on a day-to-day basis. The bases are mostly located close to popu-lation centres so the soldiers can easily liaise with the local com-munity as well as conduct secu-rity patrols.

Eager: LBdr Ryan Jack loved the popcorn from home.

Battle ready: Sgt Shane Slattery, Sgt Marten Hummel and WO2 Marc Williamson prepare weapons for a patrol. Photos by Sgt Mick Davis

ISF command changeCOL Simon Stuart has taken over as ISF Commander in East Timor.

Cdre Stuart Mayer ended his four-month deployment when he passed command of the joint Australian and New Zealand force to Col Stuart on February 25.

Cdre Mayer said the development of East Timor’s military and police had led to better secu-rity. “Looking around East Timor today people are less worried by security matters and are more con-cerned with issues such as education and jobs.”

Then click on this button,

To participate, read the scenario provided and come up with your own solution. Enter in your rank and name, whether you wish to remain anonymous or not, and then type in your solution. CAL will then transfer your entry onto the Combat Tactical Challenge Discussion Forum.

To view other submissions, just click on the link provided below the Combat Tactical Challenge button to be taken to the Discussion Forum.

The idea of the Challenge is to share ideas, not to judge responses. Also, the best couple of solutions will win a military history book. Email [email protected] if you have any queries.

You make the tactical decisions...Help Army to develop its TTP by contributing a response to the Combat Tactical Challenge on the Centre for Army Lessons (CAL) Discussion Forum.

The next Challenge is out now. You have command of a convoy and need to deliver stores to an out-stationed reconstruction patrol in Afghanistan.

Access to the Challenge is easy. All you have to do is go to our intranetwebsite,http://lwdc.sor.defence.gov.au/cal/

18 FEATURES Army March 18, 2010

Sixty-seven years after the sinking of the Centaur, a survivor relives and shares the horror with 700 family, friends and dignitaries at a memorial service in Brisbane. Rukshan Abeyaratne reports.

A chance to say farewell

Poignant: Lt-Col Gavin Keating, HQ 1 Div, reads a prayer at the Centaur memorial service.

THE horror of the worst atrocity in Australian waters during World War II is firmly etched in the

memory of Martin Pash. The retired truck driver, now 87,

is one of only three living survivors of the sinking of the hospital ship Centaur by a Japanese submarine on May 14, 1943.

Margaret Ryan also remembers the day. She was just nine when she waved goodbye to her father, SSgt James Taylor, as he boarded the ship. She never saw him again.

The clearly marked Australian Hospital Ship, the AHS Centaur, was destroyed off the coast of Brisbane killing 268 defence personnel and civilians. Only 64 people survived.

Mr Pash had to hold back tears during a memorial service in Brisbane on March 2 for the AHS Centaur, as he recalled fighting for his life in the waters off Brisbane when he was only 20.

People of all generations joined Pr ime Minis ter Kevin Rudd, Governor General Quentin Bryce and 700 family and friends at St John’s Cathedral in Ann St for a commemo-ration 67 years after the ship was destroyed.

“We couldn’t get the boats away because the ship was going down quickly, the suction was pulling me down further and further,” Mr Pash said.

“I had to swim about 20 yards (18m). I wanted to get to a barge or something like that. We got other rafts tied together. There was a sea-man there who could tie the rafts and there were two fellows who were burnt. I managed to get on to a life raft with 11 survivors, one being Sister Ellen Savage.”

One of the seamen died on the raft and was eventually buried at sea.

Mr Pash remembers several air-craft flying overhead as they were on the life rafts.

“After 32 harrowing hours drift-ing in shark-infested water we were picked up by the American destroyer Mugford,’’ Mr Pash said.

Relief was finally at hand when three days later he boarded a train back to his home town of Melbourne to see his relieved parents.

Mr Pash received a round of applause as he thanked the gathering for allowing him to share his experi-ence.

Fittingly, Sister Savage’s great nephew, Lt-Col Gavin Keating, HQ 1 Div, read the prayer for the bereaved and seafarers at the service.

Mrs Ryan, now 76, attended with her family and told of her memories of her father.

“I remember seeing my father for the first time in a uniform, I was in

tears and I told him that I am scared that he would get killed,” she said.

SSgt Taylor was a chemist in the Army and one of six brothers in the forces.

Mrs Ryan said she still had the telegram her mother received notify-ing her that her husband was pre-sumed drowned. It was sent three days after the ship was destroyed.

Ms Bryce and Mr Rudd both read messages of remembrance. Mr Rudd said the incident showed the best and worst of humanity.

“Sinking an unarmed hospital ship is a clear violation of interna-tional law ... but more than that, it is a complete violation of the basic principles of human decency,” he said.

“The Centaur story must be told and told and told again.

“Today we honour all those who lost their lives on the AHS Centaur. We also honour the families who then waited two-thirds of a century to discover the final resting place of their loved ones.”

The ship’s resting place remained a mystery until December last year, when shipwreck hunter David Mearns discovered the wreckage about 30 nautical miles east of the southern tip of Moreton Island.

CA Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie laid a wreath at the service to mark his respects to the fallen.

“This national service allows us to remember the lives lost and the contribution the AHS Centaur and her crew made to this country,” Lt-Gen Gillespie said.

“We can finally know the resting place of these men and women and give them a dignified farewell.”

The wreck will be preserved as a war grave.

Sharing the pain: Martin Pash tells of his survival, top, while Margaret Ryan with husband Bill remembers a lost father, above.Photos by Cpl Melina Mancuso

Disaster: The hospital ship Centaur, right.

20 CENTREPIECE Army March 18, 2010 21

An annual rugby league match between the Bellingen Valley-Dorrigo Mighty Magpies and Army Thunder is more than just a game for the players and people of Bellingen.

Eyes wide shut: Cpl Adam Wallace, 1 Int Bn, palms off his opponent.

Report and photos: Cpl Zenith King

A CRUNCHING tackle on former NRL player David Peachey may have been the talk of the town, but it is the memory of Sgt Matthew Locke that continues to burn

brightly in the Bellingen community. On February 27, soldiers from around Australia

came together on behalf of the Army to play a charity rugby league match in honour of Sgt Locke, a former Magpies player, who was tragically killed while on duty in Afghanistan in 2007.

The match raised money for Legacy and The Grub Club, a not-for-profit charity named in honour of Sgt Locke who was affectionately called a grub by his dad as a child.

“He would be horrified to know we are using the term,” sister Debbie Locke said.

“He never told his Army buddies.“He was really dirty as a littlie – filthy. Under the

house with trucks and dirt, that was Matt. Dad used to come home and say ‘god you’re a grub’.

“That’s how we came up with the name.”As soldiers walked the streets of Bellingen on the

eve of the match, they began to understand the impact Sgt Locke had on the small community.

In the main street, a plaque has been added in his honour to a memorial for locals killed in World War II and players were greeted in the street by locals.

More than 2000 people attended the event, which saw junior games played throughout the day, draw-ing teams from Orara Valley, Sawtell, Bellingen and Dorrigo.

Former local and Army Thunder captain, Sgt Nicholas Matthews, has been heavily involved with the charity match, which began last year, after he approached the Locke family with the idea.

“It all started when I was looking to start a charity match on behalf of the Army and decided to hold it in memory of Sgt Locke,” Sgt Matthews said.

“The boys played with a lot of passion on behalf of Sgt Locke, knowing the importance of this game, and I am pretty sure that’s why we came through with the win.”

The match saw a battle between former NRL full-backs David Peachey, lining up for Bellingen and Pte Joven Clarke, who both played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Pte Clarke, ranked the 10th fastest player by the Centenary of Rugby League, played his first match in Army colours.

“I was very excited to be playing rugby league again, and to see the funds raised were going to a good cause also made the moment that much more special,” Pte Clarke said.

The event raised $12,000 which included the auc-

tioning of the Magpies shirts to spectators signed by themselves and their opposing number. A $5 dona-tion was collected at the gates by reservists from 41RNSWR and raffles were conducted throughout the day.

The Grub Club will use its share of the funds raised to continue to support education and provide resources to children in East Timor and Afghanistan – two coun-tries Sgt Locke deployed to while serving in the ARA.

In Afghanistan the organisation has sent 47 boxes of resources to Ali Shiraz’s primary school in the Oruzgan Province and created a scholarship to allow teachers to be trained locally rather than travelling to Kabul.

In East Timor they support Fuan Nabilan School for the blind.

While Cpl Mark Ryan, CTC, names Peachey as one of his former idols, that didn’t stop him charging at the ex-NRL star in a massive hit early in the game.

“I said to him while he was on the ground ‘that’s why you don’t play NRL any more’,” he joked after-wards.

But he added: “It’s not who wins or loses it’s the charities that won out in the end of the day.”

ARMY Thunder held aloft the Sgt Matthew Locke shield after a thrill-ing two-point win against the Mighty Magpies at Bellingen Park.

The Army rugby league team avenged its loss with a 22-20 victory after being beaten in the first annual Locke char-ity match last year 24-16 against Bellingen Valley-Dorrigo Magpies.

Last year the team lost players in the lead-up to the game and started with a squad of just 19 compared to Bellingen’s 40.

This year’s game was a hard-fought match dominated mainly by the forwards. A bad defensive read allowed the Magpies to take the first try. This encounter early on ensured the game was going to be one to remember.

Thunder quickly dominated the middle

third of the field with their large mobile forward pack led by skipper Sgt Nicholas Matthews.

An intercept try to man-of-the-match Cpl Chad Gill, ARTC, served as the catalyst for Thunder’s attacking raids and, shortly after, Sgt Clancy Fallon, 5 Avn Regt, was able to capitalise on poor defence to put the team in front.

From there the team put in an outstand-ing effort in attack and defence to ensure it maintained the lead and was able to hold on for the remainder of the game.

Sgt Matthews said he was out there for inspiration and leadership.

“We started slowly and the boys dropped in confidence a bit when Bellingen got the first try,” he said.

“The plan was to dominate in the mid-dle third of the field and then spread the ball wide.

“I always say simple football executed well wins matches and combined with our superior fitness and strength we knew this would help us get over the line.”

The battle between opposing full-backs Pte Jovan Clarke, 3RAR, and David Peachey was worth the admission fee alone. Both players were incisive in their running and support play throughout the match.

Coach and founder of Army Thunder Maj Al Lynch, 1RTB, thought the match lived up to expectations.

“Last year we were ambushed a little, specifically by their numbers, however we learnt that lesson and adjusted accordingly by assembling a larger squad,” he said.

“The intensity and skill displayed by our blokes was nothing short of extraordinary particularly given the fact we had only four days to prepare for the match and they had a quality player in David Peachey at full-

back. I don’t think any of our players cameoff feeling they had not given their all for the team.

“I was extremely proud of every one of our players and appreciative of the efforts they put in and everyone cannot wait for next year so we can go two up.”

Playing in front of the Army RugbyLeague Association president Lt-Col Scott Palmer, Army Rugby League Associationpatron RSM-A WO Steve Ward, Special Operations Commander Maj-Gen TimMcOwan and Maj-Gen Jim Molan (retd) was certainly an incentive for the players toperform at their best.

RESULT: THUNDER 22. Tries: Cpl Chad Gill; Pte Joven Clarke; Sgt Clancy Fallon; Pte Mahn Darley. Goals: Cpl Gill 2, Pte Darley. MAGPIES 20: Tries Matt Bush 2, Ian Boutell, Ryan O’Connor. Goals: Dan Russell 2.

Honoured: Pte Michael Hamer, 4 Fd Regt, left with LCpl Patrick Inskip, 3RAR, and Sgt Clancy Fallon, 5 Avn Regt, at the town memorial where Sgt Matthew Locke’s name has been added.

Winners are grinners: Army Thunder celebrates its win in the second Sgt Matthew Locke charity match against the Bellingen Valley-Dorrigo Mighty Magpies.

Thunder strikes some sweet revenge

Crunch time: Pte Ben Salm, 2RAR, shows the strain in a tackle (above) while a Magpies player runs into a brick wall in the form of Sgt Martin McCulloch, AAvnTC, and Spr James Norman, 17 Const Sqn (below).

Close call: Player of the match Cpl Chad Gill, ARTC, tries to avoid a nasty collision.

Collection point: Ptes Ben Borkowsky and Jay Ellington, 41RNSWR, collect donations at the gate.

Street talk: Pte Mahn Darley, 3RAR, Pte Michael Hamer, 108 Bty, and Spr Karl Hewett, 17 Const Sqn share a laugh with locals outside a cafe.

On the move: Former NRL speedstar Pte Joven Clarke shows why he was ranked the 10th fastest player by the Centenary of Rugby League.

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22 LETTERS AND VIEWPOINTS Army March 18, 2010

ADF equity, when it comes to uniforms, does not exist.

Recent changes across the ADF generally see all three services now wearing disruptive pattern uniforms as dress of the day, including those members employed in office environments.

In accordance with ASOD, DPCU jacket sleeves are to be worn down, supposedly to pro-vide protection against UV threat. However, both Navy and Air Force dress policy states that their sleeves may be rolled up above the elbow.

I understand and agree that OH&S and duty of care are good reasons to have sleeves rolled down when working in an outdoor environment, however, common sense surely dictates that policy should be changed to authorise the

I WOULD like to congratulate WO2 ‘Dave’ for having the insight, albeit as a result of hitting rock bottom, to stand up and admit he had a drinking problem (Army, March 4).

One response to this article might be to write it off, but there is no doubt the story he tells resonates with the hard truth of a serial drinker and to continue on that path was going to certainly ruin his life if not kill him.

It is not easy for people to admit they have an alcohol addiction; those with such an addiction know all the tricks in the book to hide it and deny it. I com-mend WO2 Dave for having the strength and courage to make a positive change which has not only resulted in his sobriety for more than nine years but allowed him to remain an effective military team member and achieve the rank of WO2.

It could have gone either way for him had it not been for the fantastic support agencies in Defence that are there to help us get through difficult and, in some cases, life-destroying times. These services, when cou-pled with the support of military mates and family, as in this case, provide an effective environment for any-one seeking to reclaim their life from alcohol.

Historically, Defence has always been associated with alcohol-related incidents, but times have changed and generations have changed.

One of the tensions I have observed is that we have young soldiers from whom we remove all responsibil-ity as they are inculcated into the military environment; we then ask them to take responsibility back for their actions or be prepared for the repercussions. We must start demanding that responsibility at point-of-entry in their career so they can hopefully make informed deci-sions before getting to a point where, after a night out, they get behind the wheel of their car.

The continuous education and induction briefs must remain relevant to ensure they engage and impart the important message for what is acceptable behaviour, especially with regard to alcohol abuse/misuse. At the Army School of Health we reinforce this message at induction and before students go on leave or posting, emphasising how valuable each member is.

Still, if every soldier put themselves in the chair of their CO or OC – who has the unfortunate duty of notifying parents that their son or daughter “will not be coming home” – and imagined what it would be like for their mother to receive such news, it might bring home that soldiers are not really six-foot-tall and bul-letproof but truly blood and bone.

Then perhaps they might not have to sink to rock bottom like WO2 Dave before realising that alcohol abuse – whether binge drinking on the weekend or a sustained form of alcoholism – is not cool, it does not value-add to career aspirations and that it takes one lapse to ruin not only one life but potentially several. This message has always been a priority and I am committed to the CA’s stand on this issue because all soldiers who value the team would want to be there for any of their mates struggling to defeat this enemy.Lt-Col Bronwyn WheelerCO Army School of HealthArmy Logistic Training CentreBandiana

Praise for stance on alcohol

Ups and downs of uniforms

sleeves rolled up when working in an office environment (especially when our brethren sit beside us with their sleeves up).

This would in fact then be equitable, would it not?WO2 Brandt GrollmusJCWO – DNOCHMAS Harman

WO1 Brett Pates, RSM Ceremonial – Army, responds:ADF equity states that all Defence members are to be treated fairly. It does not state that all must be dressed the same.

To clarify a couple of points raised by WO2 Grollmus. First, the recent change to the dress of the day only applies to Army. Each single service dresses in accordance with their respective dress codes/manuals.

ASOD does state that sleeves are to be worn down and, yes, this is partly due to OH&S requirements to provide protec-tion against UV threat.

However, it also provides standardisation and uniformity across Army.

WO2 Grollmus’ understand-

ing and acknowledgement of the duty of care when working in an outdoor environment is admira-ble, but his application of com-mon sense falls short.

If sleeves were allowed to be rolled up in an office environ-ment and rolled down outdoors then every time you either walked outside or inside you would have to either roll your sleeves up or down accordingly.

To date there have not been any formal requests forwarded to Army’s ceremonial cell for a change to ASOD in relation to the rolling up of sleeves.

There is no intent to review or change the current policy.

ASOD clearly states current dress code requirements for the wearing of DPCU and, as such, is not an issue of equity.

Roll call: Sleeves are to be rolled down at all times.

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24 LETTERS AND VIEWPOINTS Army March 18, 2010

Q: Why is it that my cloth-ing store cannot change my uni-form items I have to exchange and have limited sizes of boots?

A: When a soldier goes to the clothing store to exchange worn kit for new, the kit to be exchanged must be totally unserv-iceable.

All soldiers should make every effort to keep their gear in good order until it is fully worn out. Section 2ICs and platoon/troop sergeants should check gear before it is taken to be exchanged (or consolidate and do the Q changes themselves) to ensure it warrants exchange.

The process at the clothing store should be: item is checked by the QWEE; the QWEE will confirm that the item is unservice-able, is worn out and is no longer

I AM an MWD(U) soldier currently posted to Puckapunyal with my family residing in Palmerston, NT.

On February 11, just after 1600h, my wife and youngest son, aged five, broke down on the side of the road with a significant amount of smoke coming out of the engine bay. Immediately, a soldier stopped to render assistance.

This young soldier introduced himself as Todd and proceeded to ensure my wife and son were safe and the car was not a danger. Todd then ensured that the car was seen by a mechanic close by.

At this stage most good Samaritans would be satis-fied they had done well and go on their way, however, Todd drove my wife and son home. Once home, he also offered to help with my other children who were at after-school sporting activities. During the entire time, my wife stated that Todd acted in a professional, courteous and calm manner.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Pte Todd Smith for providing assistance to my family in a time of need. If our young soldiers of today are dis-playing the character of Pte Smith then I believe our future Army is in excellent hands.Capt Justin DyerLWDCPuckapunyal

RSM-A’s FAQs

I AM writing in reply to Cpl Chloe Witts’ letter (Army, February 4) in regards to “having enough of the unfair standards between the sexes in Defence”.

Cpl Witts asked for a Defence-wide survey among women asking if they would like to deploy. I was of the belief there are women currently deployed overseas, even in key appointments, and obviously doing a good job, other-wise they wouldn’t be there.

If we wish to abolish the standards between the sexes we should start with the BFA. Let’s make the pass mark for males the Army standard and let’s make sure we don’t lower the current male standard as it is already too low.

Once we have done that we can move on to the CFA, with the remov-al of the ramp for the females on the

RDJ and making the 15km pack march exactly that, a 15km pack march with 35kg, not empty webbing, and a mere feeble attempt at walking the 15km.

But let’s not stop there, we can now include the BFT (battle fitness test) which is conducted by infantry bat-talions. Some battalions conduct it dif-ferently but it basically comprises a 2km run in patrol order in under 10 minutes, followed by three times up the ropes.

Let’s not stop this difference of equality among the sexes but let’s also abolish it among the corps. Now let’s run the same Army-wide survey and see if everyone, male or female, com-bat corps or not, is willing to conduct these tests twice a year. I’m not nar-row minded, I know there are different standards in place between males and

females and combat corps and non-combat corps, but where does this call for equality stop?

Cpl Witts also says she doesn’t see the point learning how to be a section commander on the JLC because they will never use it. Well I beg to differ. What if, for example, some truckies are en route to an RV to pick up a C/S and they get ambushed? The com-mander of that packet, male or female, will need to deploy their troops. You have to remember that the JLC only teaches the very basics, because of the course’s all-corps nature. Infantry soldiers obviously expand on this in depth on SIOS (Sub 2 Cpl).

As Cpl Witts stated, soldiers are trained exactly the same at Kapooka (except for the BFA standards), as eve-ryone learns how to march, iron polys

and eat at a thousand miles an hour, but it’s after that point where the sol-diering changes.

Remember also, we don’t have to deploy overseas in order for us to do our jobs. That’s something we do every day regardless of gender.Cpl Lucas BoyéSchool of InfSingleton

I FIND Cpl Witts’ letter very short-sighted indeed.

Why learn to be section command-ers on Junior Leaders Course? Because we are all soldiers first, regardless of gender or corps. Logistic soldiers on convoys, for example, are soft targets and are just as likely to be forced into drawing on these skills in war-time as their combat-arms counterparts. It is

great to see such a passionate soldier. However, contrary to popular belief, this age-old argument pertains to far more than just the physical aspects of soldiering.

Things such as anthropology, psy-chology and biology weigh heavily also. I have been in the Army for 13 years and we have come a very long way even in that short time.

We can cry for equality as much as we like. We can scream ‘but I am a soldier too!’ However, no matter how fit or qualified we are, at the end of the day we are still women. It will happen eventually, but at the moment there are some things we should just leave alone. Lt Raechel DriscollSchool of ArmourPuckapunyal

Boots and all clothing issue

repairable; and the item is then changed.

It is important to note that if an item is not available to imme-

diately replace the unservice-able one, the QWEE should do a search on SDSS to find one for the soldier and get it to them ASAP (within a day or days, not weeks or months). A follow-up order should then be placed into the loggie system to replenish the stock in the normal fashion.

The boot issue is somewhat different. There are still signifi-cant stocks of version 3 (12,000 but mostly very small and really large) and version 4.6 (18,000 of nearly all sizes).

When orders for boots are being filled, the version 3 and 4.6 stock will be used to fill that order if the sizes are available. There is little difference between version 4.6 and version 5 boots. The ver-sion 5 boots are used for POE issues only at this time.

When returning from opera-tions through the quarantine checkpoints, soldiers are to have scrubbed and dried their boots, not exchanged them for new ones.

Because of the manufactur-ing process and batching, certain sizes of boots may become scarce at times.

The combat boot project to replace the current combat boot is under way. It will proceed to iden-tify a new boot, gain the funding and have it introduced into serv-ice by around February 2012 if all goes to plan.

Note that the Army is the capa-bility manager for combat boots for the other services.

If there are any issues with this process, contact the SO2 clothing at AHQ via the web site.

– RSM-A WO Stephen Ward

Army gender a tender subject

Chivalry not dead in NT

■ Preference is given to letters under 300 words.■ All letter writers must include their name, unit, location and contact number for purposes of verification.■ Email letters to [email protected] or mail them to Army news-paper, R8-LG-038, Russell Offices, Canberra ACT 2600.

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26 TRAINING Army March 18, 2010

By Capt Michael Brooke

THE stutter of machine-gun fire and grenade explo-sions provided by soldiers training for Operation Anode Rotation 21 on Holsworthy Range added to the realism of a command-post exercise for soldiers from 5 and 8 Bdes.

Exercise Ready Blade, held from February 26-28, allowed 8 Bde to piggy-back on 5 Bde’s collective training in the conduct of CPXs and tactical exercises without troops.

The soldiers from the NSW-based brigades, some who will also shortly deploy on Op Anode Rotation 21, honed their skills in a two-level CPX. This prepared them for a brigade level combined-arms training activ-ity later this year as well as any subsequent Reserve Response Force (RRF) or High Readiness Reserve (HRR) deployments.

The scenario had the soldiers deploy to the mythical country of Legais where, despite numerous humanitar-ian aid challenges and security threats, they helped the government to restore law and order.

Commander 5 Bde Brig Paul Brereton said the exercise challenged a battle group headquarters staff as well as three combat team HQs, including 5 RRF Coy HQ and one 8 Bde-staffed HQ.

“The exercise served to facilitate battle preparation including distribution of orders, combat military appre-ciation process and the preparation of stores and equip-ment, which has further prepared 5 and 8 Bdes for RRF Coy or other taskings this year,” Brig Brereton said.

Many of the participants said they were challenged by the tempo of the exercise.

Lessons from last year’s Ex Ready Blade were also applied, which included the embedding of a CSSB liai-son officer in all the command post HQs.

Lt Simon Roeder, D Coy, 43RNSWR, said he gained a lot of experience as a watchkeeper in the bat-tle group HQ, which had better prepared him for future deployments.

“This is the first time I have done anything like this and obviously there was a steep learning curve initially,” he said.

“We eventually settled into a good battle rhythm but the biggest challenge was separating the informa-tion flow from what was coming in from the joint task force HQ and what we were disseminating to the com-bat team HQs.”

Lt Antionette Jayetileke, OC A Tp, 5CSSB, was embedded as a liaison officer in CT Lillee, which was played by a 5 RRF Coy HQ.

“The benefits are that as a CSSB liaison officer you are with the combat team HQ and when tasks come in you start to formulate a combat services support plan that will identify issues that might provide a hurdle to their operation,” she said.

Maj Alain Dunand, OC 8 RRF Coy, said the exer-cise would “set us up for success with the other collec-tive training planned for this year, and of course any tasks or deployments we receive”.

Maj Maree Derreck, civil-military co-operation (CIMIC) Tactical Assessment Team, 21 Const Regt, said her team’s participation “allowed us to help the battle group HQ and combat team HQs strengthen their appreciation and understanding about the proper employment of CIMIC as a capability”.

Further training for 5 and 8 Bdes later this year will involve a tactical exercise without troops at Singleton in May, followed by a brigade combined-arms training activity at the same venue in July.

Brigades shine in Ex Ready Blade

Action stations: Maj Alain Dunand, OC 8 RRF Coy, gives orders as WO2 Daryl Alderton looks on (left). Lt Antionette Jayetileke, OC A Tp, 5CSSB, communicates with other unit members during Ex Ready Blade (above). Photos by Capt Michael Brooke

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TRAINING 27Army March 18, 2010

By Lt Bill Heck

IT WAS a cocktail of rain and pain as Exercise Shaggy Ridge became a soggy reality when more than 80 officer cadets tested their leadership abilities.

Ex Shaggy Ridge is considered the most demanding training exercise undertaken at RMC and the toughest activity some officers will be involved in during their military careers.

OCdt Jasmin Marton said while the rain had been horrible and a real morale downer the exercise itself had not been too bad.

“As awful as it was to push an artillery piece up a hill in the pouring rain the sense of achievement you get when you finally get it there is inde-scribable,” OCdt Marton said.

“You don’t know how good it is till you have had it really bad.”

This was the first time Ex Shaggy Ridge was run in RMC 1st Class which meant the organisers could push the cadets a little harder and expect a little bit more of them.

RMC Senior Instructor Maj James Kidd said the cadets were more physically robust, their skills more advanced and they had a much better understanding of leadership theory.

“We have deliberately moved away from corporate leadership activities to include more military activities because we are looking for them to command,” he said.

“Based on my experience and observation, trainers need to work harder and harder to keep the training challenging and relevant and I believe we have been able to achieve that.”

The cadets are tested through physical, emotional and mental adver-sity with no food and no sleep for significant periods over the five-day exercise.

From that platform, it is a mili-

tary skill competition with 14 stands, with each cadet required to command their section at a stand and points scored towards a champion section.

Historically, Ex Shaggy Ridge has a high injury rate because of the com-bined fatigue and extreme physical activity.

The exercise had two medi-cal teams and two separate medical platforms from 1HSB available to it including a nurse in the field to assess and treat casualties as soon as pos-sible.

Heat is the historically significant contributor to the casualties. However, this year the constant rain presented the cadets with very different prob-lems.

Maj Kidd said the rain was a real positive in a number of ways because it made the physical environment much more challenging.

“We had issues with constantly wet feet and things like chaff but that gives them a better appreciation of the reality of looking after themselves and their soldiers in a field environ-ment,” he said.

“The reality is that when the tem-perature is high you sometimes need to stop the training to be safe but when it is wet it might be real uncom-fortable, but at least it is safe.”

OCdt Daniel Finnigan said once he accepted the reality that he and every-thing he had was going to get wet it got a little bit easier.

“Being thoroughly wet and con-stantly on your feet marching with your pack on has been one of the most challenging aspects,” he said.

“Your feet just don’t get a break.”The exercise has no fixed location

and no fixed timings or scenarios. Planning is now underway for the

next class of cadets later this year and it promises to be as challenging and as tough.

Raining pain on ridge

Steady hands: OCdt Robert Mueller, top, maintains focus as he completes the Ex Shaggy Ridge obstacle course. Photo by Cpl Ricky Fuller

Long day: OCdt Thomas Moore, left, moves to a security position while OCdt Paul Garth conducts a Minimi lesson with a role player during a stand, above. Photos by Cpl Raymond Vance

Helping out: OCdt Simon Watch lends a hand to OCdt Dominic Santilli as he swings through the obstacle course, right. Photo by Cpl Ricky Fuller

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There’s more than the flag proudly flying over Australian troops in Afghanistan

The Australian Defence Force Project Nankeen Unmanned Aerial

System (UAS) is now operational in Afghanistan. It provides frontline

personnel with real-time surveillance, reconnaissance, and security.

MDA is a proud partner of the ADF on the project. We look forward to

supporting Nankeen operations that are saving lives and

increasing mission success.

UAV image © Commonwealth of Australia 2004

By Michael Brooke

TWO Black Hawk helicopters from 6 Avn Regt literally dropped in on the Navy during a training flight conducted as part of their Special Operations Qualification Course.

The Black Hawk pilots got a birds-eye view of several warships berthed at HMAS Kuttabul as they honed their ability to operate in a complex urban setting.

Flights of three to four Black Hawks have been a common sight around the Sydney Harbour and the Sydney CBD, including the east-ern suburbs from Watson’s Bay to Coogee.

The training started on March 2 and continues until March 26.

XO 6 Avn Regt Maj Paul Lewis said the training was conducted to ensure that newly arrived aircrew gained the skills required to operate as part of the regiment.

“The training challenged the air-crew to operate as a team and to con-duct low-altitude flying in a range of weather and light conditions over Defence establishments and major public venues in Sydney as well as some in the Shoalhaven area,” he said.

“We take already experienced Black Hawk pilots and aircrewmen and train them in the art of operating in and around built up areas by day and by night.”

Maj Lewis said 6 Avn Regt con-ducted such training three times a year and it was crucial to developing the skills of Black Hawk aircrew.


Urban team challenge

City and suburbs: A 6 Avn Black Hawk circles Garden Island in Sydney as part of flight crew training in urban operations while, inset, a crew member is a picture of concentration.Photos by Michael Brooke

Defence Relocation Services are changing in 2010Effective 1 July 2010 Toll Transitionswill be the primary contact for all ADF member and family relocations.

Freecall 1800 819 167 or visit www.tolltransitions.com.au

Freecall 139 DHA (139 342) or visit www.dha.gov.au

Toll Transitionswill be responsible for the co-ordination of ADF member and family relocations and relocation entitlements and allowances.

Defence Housing Australia will manage ADF member and family housing and related services.

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By Gnr Shannon Joyce

THE Northern Territory’s coastal wilderness might seem tranquil, but it holds many dangers for those who main-tain border protection across remote regions of Australia.

For the Norforce patrolmen on the ground, the challenge of keeping their mate alive for medivac after serious injury improved last month during the unit’s specialised Regional Force Surveillance Unit (RFSU) First Aid Course.

Indigenous soldiers from across the unit’s area of opera-tions travelled to Larrakeyah Barracks in Darwin to learn a range of first-aid techniques alongside their non-indigenous counterparts.

E x p e r i e n c e d p a t r o l commander Sg t Norman Daymarringu from the remote community of Gapuwiyak was one of the indigenous students on the course studying for re-certification.

His bush skills and 12 years of experience in Norforce make him an important asset to any patrol. Sgt Daymarringu said maintaining his first-aid quali-fications helped him look after his men.

“Keeping everyone healthy and focused is important to a good patrol,” he said.

“The sort of dangers a patrolman can face is not just

the crocs and snakes, but heat illness and vehicle rollovers.”

The unit’s Warrant Officer M e d i c a l , W O 2 Wa y n e McKenna, said literacy and language difficulties with some indigenous patrolmen meant not all were suitable to qualify as an RFSU first aider.

“A more visual and pro-nounced method of instruction with our indigenous soldiers is often successful in achieving the required competency on the course,” WO2 McKenna said.

“Credit has to be given to the teaching methods of our trainers who take the lesson requirements and relate them to the patrolmen in a fashion they can more easily retain.”

Qualified to treat patients with such drugs as morphine and adrenaline, RFSU first aid-ers need to return to the unit RAP for re-certification every year to maintain the qualifica-tion over the duration of their careers in Norforce.

Their skills in initial emer-gency care and stabilising a cas-ualty in preparation for medivac are important to the safety of their patrol.

Modern medical care might contrast with the traditional bush medicine techniques many remote indigenous patrolmen are brought up with, but RFSU patrol medics perform a role that transcends cultural differ-ences.

Patrol safety paramount

Crocs and vehicle rollovers: Sgt Norman Daymarringu from the Gapuwiyak community in Arnhem Land is assessed by Cpl Archer during a practical component of his RFSU First Aid Course in Darwin. Photo by Gnr Shannon Joyce

Are you a current serving ADF member about to sepa-rate from the military? Are you concerned about how this change will affect you and your family? Would you like to learn how to manage this change in your life?If you answered ‘yes’ then the Stepping Out Program is for you!

The Stepping Out Program is a free program for Defence personnel and their partners who are in the process of separating, or have recently separated, from the military. The two-day Stepping Out Program gives you skills and strategies to help you prepare for the social and emotional changes that come with leaving Defence – for you and your family.Take the time to prepare and plan for the future, learn stress management skills and become aware of local support outside of the military.

The Stepping Out Program is a chance to meet others in the same situation and to gain insight into their expe-riences. In small groups, with an experienced facilitator who understands the challenges facing transitioning military personnel, you can prepare and plan for your next step into civilian life.

The Stepping Out Program is provided by VVCS – Veterans and Veterans Counselling Service and is available across Australia. The Defence Directorate of Transition Support Services has endorsed the program and will give you time out from work to attend.The program has been highly regarded by participants, in particular, one participant commended the program with the following: “Every discharging ADF person should do this course”.

Register now, call VVCS on 1800 011 046.

19-20 April Perth19-20 April Townsville29-30 April Canberra6-7 May Sydney10-11 May Brisbane18-19 May Adelaide20-21 May Darwin14-15 June Townsville17-18 June Melbourne21-22 June Canberra21-22 June Cairns6-7 July Newcastle26-27 July Brisbane12-13 August Canberra19-20 August Nowra7-8 September Sydney14-15 September Perth12-13 October Adelaide14-15 October Newcastle8-9 November Brisbane15-16 November Canberra15-16 November Melbourne

Upcoming Stepping Out Program for 2010(subject to demand) Date Location

Stepping Out Program

Australian Government

VVCS - Veterans and Veterans Family Counselling Service

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PERSONNEL 31Army March 18, 2010

ARMY is establishing a number of Army Personnel Co-ordination Detachments (APCD) throughout the country to provide support for members through the transition process, whether for transfer to reserve service or separation to civilian life.

These detachments will be collocated, where pos-sible, with ADF Transition Centres.

DGPers-A Brig Gerard Fogarty said the new APCDs would provide a “visible, uniformed presence enabling Army to better manage its people through the entire transition process”.

“APCD staff will provide a direct and immediate Army point of contact to co-ordinate Army personnel through the Transition Support Services-led transition processes,” Brig Fogarty said.

“APCD staff will not undertake the transition-ing member’s or unit’s responsibilities, nor will they undertake any of the DSG’s transition responsibilities.What they will do is provide support while co-ordi-nating and managing members through the transition process.”

He said the APCD staff would better manage and administer Army personnel serving in select non-Army group postings and posted to select Army Personnel Not Related to Establishment positions.

“Each APCD will be staffed by an ARA major and an ARes warrant officer. The selection process for these personnel is currently under way. Completion of the selection of APCD staff is expected by the end of April,” Brig Fogarty said.

Expressions of interest for the second round of selections will be sought by SCMA immediately after the Easter long weekend.

APCD commanders are selected from within ARA WO1 ranks through an in-service commissioning scheme. Selection for this scheme is separate to other in-service commissioning, as the role requires specific skills and attributes. Additionally, there are tailored conditions of service associated with the appointment that are not suitable for candidates of other in-service commissioning schemes.

The first six APCD teams will begin training in July and the detachments will be established in August at: Brindabella Park, ACT; Defence Plaza, Melbourne; Leeuwin Barracks, Perth; Edinburgh Park, Adelaide; Kapooka, Wagga Wagga; and RAAF Base Williamtown, Newcastle.

The second six APCD teams will start training in February 2011 and the detachments will be estab-lished in March 2011 at: Defence Plaza, Sydney; Moorebank, Sydney; Gallipoli Barracks, Brisbane; Lavarack Barracks, Townsville; Berrima, Darwin; and Anglesea Barracks, Hobart.

For further information visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/army-web/sites/scma/comweb.asp?Page=209934

PERSONNEL who joined Army in 2008 and completed a Longitudinal ADF Study Evaluating Retention (LASER) graduation-from-training survey will receive a follow-up survey this month.

Project LASER was established to find out what influences members to stay or leave the ADF.

Project officer Vanessa Barone said the initiative aimed to discover the differences in attitudes and thoughts towards the ADF from members before they joined, after their initial training and once a year until the end of their initial minimum period of service.

“By doing this ADF decision mak-ers are able to see how these attitudes, thoughts and feelings change over time and what might be done to make the ADF an organisation that people want to stay a part of,” Miss Barone said.

Project LASER is also important as it gives junior ADF members the opportunity to indicate changes they would like to see made to the Army and ADF.

The results of Project LASER will be reported to CA through DGPers-A.

LEGISLATION to merge the boards of trustees for public-service superannuation schemes, MSBS, DFRDB and a number of other Commonwealth super schemes to form a single trustee body could come into effect from July 1.

The Government announced in October 2008 that it intended to merge the boards. Legislation was drafted and introduced to Parliament on February 4 this year.

If the legislation passes, a new consoli-dated body to be called the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation will act as trustee for the main public service and military super-

annuation schemes with an 11-member board appointed to represent the interests of military and civilian members.

The proposed board would have an inde-pendent chairman and 10 directors – two nominated by the CDF to represent military members, three nominated by the ACTU to represent public servants, with the Finance and Deregulation Minister nominating the rest after consulting with the Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science Minister.

DGPers-A Brig Gerard Fogarty said the consolidation was a governance issue and would not affect members’ superannua-tion benefits. “If the legislation passes, each

scheme will retain its own legislative base and provisions and, moreover, the Minister for Defence will retain policy responsibility for the two military schemes,” he said. “I support this proposed merger because it would reduce overheads and because the combination of funds from the civilian and military schemes would increase market leverage for the benefit of our members.”

A Senate inquiry into the Bill was announced on February 27, with written sub-missions closing on March 5. A public hearing was held on March 11.

The RSL and DFWA both opposed the merger in written submissions to the inquiry.

� If you joined in 2008 and have completed a LASER graduation from training survey, then you will receive a LASER survey in March. You will receive surveys every year at this time until your IMPS/ROSO expires.

� If you joined in 2009, you will receive a second survey at the end of your basic training course, then you will start receiving annual surveys from February/March 2011.

� If you joined in 2010, you will receive a second survey at the end of your basic training course, then you will start receiving annual surveys from February/March 2012.

Merge of super boards likely

Better help for soldiers on move

LASER treatmentWHO WILL GET THE SURVEY

Miss Barone said members who received their survey in the mail should give it serious consideration.

“You will be having your say in the organisation you joined, possibly making a better working environment for yourself and your mates and all it will cost you is a little time,” she said.

For information about Project LASER and receiv-ing your survey visit http//intranet.defence.gov.au/DPE/LASER or email [email protected]

Zeroing in: Project LASER aims to find out factors behind soldiers’ decisions to stay or go. Photo by Sgt Mick Davis



32 PEOPLE Army March 18, 2010

Two hats: Governor of Victoria David de Kretser presents WO1 Brendan Greaves, ALTC, with a Silver Wattle in recognition of his outstanding service to the Scout movement.

Birthday cheer: Pte Kieran Garvey, 13CSSB, gives the thumbs up at a battalion inter-company sports event to celebrate Army’s 109th birthday.

Photo by LCpl Allyson Grima

Welcome: President of Botswana Lt-Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama chats with OC 17 Const Sqn Maj Paul Wright (left) and Spr Shane Howard, during a visit to Holsworthy Barracks. Photo by Cpl Raymond Vance

Armed and ready: MTF 1 members Cpl Amanda Wright, Cpl Cindy Veenman and Capt Karin Cann fully kitted up at Multinational Base Tarin Kowt in Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt Mick Davis

Happy days: Spr Sean Mulqueen, MTF 1, grins for the camera during a break in security duties at Multinational Base Tarin Kowt. Photo by Sgt Mick Davis

Handy advice: Lt-Col David Thompson, CO CTF 635 Solomon Islands, also a school teacher at Rosalie Primary School in WA, instructs the school’s principal, Su Goddard, in the use of a smoke grenade during Exercise Boss Lift. Photo by LAC Leigh Cameron

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DIKKO By Bob Dikkenberg BULLETIN BOARD RAASC reunion A ROYAL Australian Army Service Corps Vietnam Veterans Association reunion will be held in Canberra from March 25-28. Part of the celebrations will include a plaque dedication at the Australian War Memorial on March 26. To attend contact Christina before March 22 on (02) 6241 2358, 0430 125 195 or email [email protected]

History conferenceTHE 2010 Military Historical Society of Australia conference will be held at Box Hill RSL in Victoria from April 2-5. Keynote speakers will be Maj-

Gen Jim Molan (retd) and Dr Maria Hill. The conference is open to all members of the public. To attend visit http://www.mhsa.org.au/nation-al_conferences.html

Missing rose bowlSTATE RAR associations are searching for a missing ASSAM competition trophy, the Rose Bowl. It was purchased by the associations in the 1990s and presented to the winning ASSAM Falling Plate com-petition team. The last time it was seen was in 1997. If anyone knows its whereabouts please contact Kiwi Gibbons on (07) 3300 4885 or email [email protected]

The March 4 winner is ...

We also liked ...

If you can think of a clever, witty caption for this picture, email [email protected] with “caption competition March 18” in the subject line. Keep entries under 25 words. Entries MUST include sender’s name, rank and unit.

“With the Seakings unservicable, the Navy decided to put the Seaqueens on alert 30.”Cpl Brian Mahoney AAvnTC

“To infinity and beyond.”Sgt Matt SchwarzRAAF Base Richmond

“With the wind in their hair, times never looked so good for the Fleet Air Arm.”Pte Daryl Arnold11/28RWAR

“A scene from Harry Potter and the Half Cut Prince.”Pte Daryl Arnold11/28RWAR

“Radar operator reports a SIEV off the starboard bow containing a girl with her dog, a scarecrow, tinman and lion – fly my pretties.”Capt Duncan MunroHQ 1 Div

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LIFESTYLE 35Army March 18, 2010

FINANCE

YOU’RE probably very good at judging people’s charac-ter and spotting false claims but you need to keep in mind

there are people out there who will mislead and deceive you in an attempt to get your money.

The winner is ...The 2010 Pie in the Sky award goes

to the Little Super Fund and its trustee, Gerard Karl Little.

Little promoted his scheme ini-tially through advertising in suburban newspapers, using phrases like “cash in your superannuation”. He would help people “roll over” their super into the Little Super Fund. Over a four-year period he skimmed more than $680,000 in super savings from 121 different people.

Super is for retirementGenerally you can only qualify to

ASIC Chairman Tony D’Aloisio says the Pie in the Sky awards name and shame financial scammers.

draw on your super when you perma-nently retire and reach the minimum age set by law.

Like all members of the ADF, you are a member of a military super fund.

It still pays to know what’s happen-ing in the world of superannuation as you may have family members with their own super or you may contribute to an additional super fund, or even a self-managed super fund.

Who is a target?Scammers often target people in

financial strife such as retrenched workers, or people with a lot of debts.

If you’re worried someone might be involved in a scam you should sug-gest they get professional advice before signing any documents.

It’s understandable that people may be attracted to early access of super promotions, particularly in hard times when people find it difficult to meet financial commitments, but going down this path just creates more prob-lems for people, not fewer.

Victims are convinced by these pro-moters that accessing super is a solu-tion to their money problems.

The reality is the promoters are looking for a way to scam people out of their super savings.

Cheating people out of their hard-

earned super is not just wrong, it’s ille-gal and the penalties are severe.

About Pie in the SkyThe Pie in the Sky award is award-

ed to the most outrageous, far-fetched or insidious financial scam.

Past winners have included an advanced fee scam that asked people to help a Togo barrister access $17 mil-lion from the estate of a man killed in

the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and the Mercorella Ponzi scheme where South Australian investors lost $76 million. A Ponzi scheme offered high returns to lure investors, but was doomed to col-lapse as the only source of income was additional investors — as more people were lured into the scheme, fake “divi-dends” were paid.

Keep up to date at: www.scam-watch.gov.au. Managed by the

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, this website has lots of details about different types of scams. If you know of a scam you want to nominate for the next awards, email: [email protected]. There is a $100 prize for those who nominate scams that win an award.

For more information about financial scams, go to ASIC’s consumer website at www.fido.gov.au or call on 1300 300 630. E-

There are some simple ways to spot scams and avoid painful losses.High rates of return� Always beware of investments

that offer very high returns. If you are offered an investment that sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true. With money and investments, a guaranteed return is only as reliable as the person or company offering it.

Time critical� Scams are usually presented as

‘time-critical’ but they’re really just trying to take your money before you have a chance to check the offer properly.

Trusting people you know� Sometimes people can inno-

cently be used to sell dangerous schemes, including scams. It’s called affinity fraud. Information and friendly advice can be help-ful, but be extra cautious with tips about specific investment oppor-tunities. You may need advice from a licensed adviser.

Stay informed � You can check a business offer-

ing a financial product or a finan-cial adviser by searching ASIC’s online registers to see if they are licensed, as required by law www.asic.gov.au

SCAM SPOTTING

Biggest fraud: Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years for defrauding clients of $US65bn. Investigators still don’t know what happened to most of the money. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

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36 LIFESTYLE Army March 18, 2010

Suffering: Diarrhoea, cramping and blood in the stool are not a runner’s badge of honour and shouldn’t be treated as such. Photo by PO Ollie Garside

HEALTH

In running circles, runner’s tummy is one of the terms used to describe certain complaints. Lt Rob Orr says they’re more common than you might think.

STUDIES estimate between 30-50 per cent of distance runners experience stom-ach cramps, diarrhoea and

blood in their stool at some time in their training.

One study in 1986 found that 23 per cent of marathon runners had tested positive for blood in their stools. Even experience cannot save elite runners suffering the effects.

Top runners have lost races, prize money, medals and have even been dis-qualified because of stomach cramps and the strong desire to evacuate.

Consider the chart of potential caus-es (opposite). Recommended remedial actions could include:

1Report to the medical centre for further investigation if any blood is

found in the stool or diarrhoea contin-ues. Just because these conditions are relatively common in endurance ath-letes does not mean they are normal.

Nor should they be considered a badge of honour.

2Increase your hydration as this may decrease the amount of

gastrointestinal ischemia (tem-porary loss of blood supply) and losses through bleeding.

3Chart your nutritional intake and examine the after effects.

4Reduce your running intensity and distance and gradually build it

back up again.Excessive use of anti-inflamma-

tory drugs has also been suggested

as a cause. If you have an injury that requires the use of drugs, you should be seeing your physiotherapist or RAP for guidance regarding both drug intake and training intensity. Pay attention to your body, you only have one and parts are hard to come by.

➤ A sudden, extreme increase in training distances or intensity.

➤ Dehydration. ➤ Blood shunting. Blood shunt-

ing is a natural occurrence where blood flow to the intes-tines is reduced and shunted to the working muscles. This decreased blood flow is thought to cause the cells in the gastrointestinal tract to die and slough off presenting as bloody mucous or diarrhoea.

➤ Nutritional intake. Eating too soon before a run can result in cramps due to food bounc-ing around in the stomach and an increase the need to evacuate food contents. This in turn reduces water uptake in the intestines and the result is not only diarrhoea but an increased risk of dehydra-tion. This mechanical effect of bouncing food is not limited to a unidirectional outflow.

➤ Specific food intolerances. The most common is thought to be to lactose, although wheat (gluten) products may be another potential cause.

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SPORT 37Army March 18, 2010

IT WAS a tri-surprise for first time long course triathlete Capt Natasha Lee, 1HSB, when she competed in the ADF Long Course Triathlon Championships held at Huskisson, NSW, on February 21.

Surprise number one was completing the race; number two was finishing in under six hours; and number three was finishing 13th among the 43 other women within her cat-egory (30-34 years).

“I was very happy with my result,” she said. “I have only seriously been doing triath-lons for about five months.”

Close to 800 competitors lined up for the Australian Long Course Championship tria-thlon which incorporated the ADF champion-ships with 16 ADF competitors taking on the gruelling 2km swim, 80km cycle and 20km run in 33-degree heat with a westerly wind.

Capt Lee finished in 5hr 18min 34sec, and now has her sights set on a half ironman later in the year.

“My main aim was just completing the race,” she said. “I was using it as a guide as I would like to get involved in more half iron-man’s in the future.

“I’ve got the bug now.”The swim course was a clockwise out and

back 2km swim in Jervis Bay followed by a three-lap bike circuit.

The run leg was rated the hardest leg by all as it was held in the heat of the day.

ACW Grace Macpherson clocked the fast-est run time for the women in 1.54:51 just beating Christina Thorn, APS, by 2min and was crowned 2010 Female ADF Long Course Triathlon Champion.

In the men’s event, Sgt Craig Ewen-Crawford, RAAF, was crowned the male champion clocking an impressive time of 4.23:48.

The first to cross for Army was Capt Chris Linden who finished fifth in a time of 5.00:03.

ADSTA president WO1 Terry St John, 4CSSB, said it was a huge day for everyone.

“Overall it was an awesome, enjoyable but challenging day for all,” he said.

He made special mention of Lt-Col Jock Murdoch, ADFA, who is on exchange from the UK and finished in a time of 5.22.37 and also encouraged anyone interested in the sport to register with the association.

“Lt-Col Murdoch said his real reason for coming to Australia was to conquer some Australian triathlons. I think he proved that today in fine form.”

“Next year’s event is going to be bigger than ever for the ADF as a whole.

“I encourage you to get involved if you are after a challenge or a bit of fun.”

For more information on the ADF Triathlon Club go to http://intranet.defence.gov.au/raafweb/sites/ADSTA/comweb.asp?page=104629. The next event will be the ADF Olympic Distance championship (1.5km, 40km, 10km) to be held in Newcastle on March 21 and the ADF Ironman Championship to be held in Port Macquarie on March 28.

ARMY competitors: Capt Chris Linden, 1JPAU, (5.00.03); Capt Natasha Lee, 1HSB, (5.18:34); Maj Brendan Robinson, HQ 17CSSB, (5.11:33); Lt-Col Jock Murdoch (5.22:37); Maj Brendan Maxwell, 1JPAU, ADFA, (5.41:29).

First-time triumph

Showing the strain: Capt Natasha Lee, 1HSB, left and Capt Chris Linden, MPA, take on the running leg of the ADF long course triathlon. Photos by AB Justin Brown

By Sgt Andrew Hetherington

ARMY and the ultra competitive triathlon world lost one of its brightest, fittest and most dedicated on February 28.

The shock death of Kokoda Barracks PTI and accomplished triathlete Cpl Renee Nicholls two days after a road cycling accident on the Gold Coast has rocked her family, friends, colleagues and fellow tria-thletes.

The 27-year-old elite athlete joined the Army in June 2000 as a driver in RACT and served at 1JSU and 7CSSB in Brisbane and deployed to East Timor in 2004.

In 2005 Cpl Nicholls was posted to the Land Warfare Centre at Canungra as a driver.

In his eulogy at her funeral on March 8, CO LWC Col Mark Frendin said she was an inspiring individual.

“Her workmates in the transport yard remember her as a dedicated and highly committed junior NCO with a positive attitude,” Col Frendin said.

“Her strengths were her energy, professionalism and enthusiasm. She drove for successive commanders of LWC, one describing her as a tornado of energy and enthusiasm.”

This attitude motivated her to make a career change in November 2006 to become a PTI.

“Everyone I have spoken to agrees Cpl Nicholls was clearly in the right job,” Col Frendin said.

“She was a positive and happy person but a deter-mined competitor and drove herself hard. As a PTI she had the ability to work a group to achieve goals, but with humour.

“She led from the front and as such was a valuable role model.”

During the first year in her new job as a PTI, Cpl Nicholls decided to compete in triathlons.

In her first appearance in Army in the April 16, 2009 edition she spoke of her reasons for taking up the sport.

“The ability to push your body to the limits … there is a difference between completing an ironman and racing one. I wanted to race at the top end and see how far I could push myself.”

In this article she also spoke of her triathlon and iron-man successes leading up to participating in the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships, in which she won the 25-29 age group on October 10 last year.

“I decided to do a half ironman on the Gold Coast in October 2007 because friends were competing, and I fin-ished in the top five,” Cpl Nicholls said.

She competed in the elite division and then won the Australian Half Ironman Championship Series for 2008-09, finishing the first woman amateur, after being unbeaten in her past three races.

After her Hawaiian result, she planned to turn professional and she was to compete in the Australian Ironman titles in April.

Cpl Nicholls will be sadly missed by her family, friends, work colleagues and fellow competitors.

Past Army news stories on Cpl Nicholls can be found at the following links: http://digital.realviewtechnologies.com/default.aspx?xml=defencenews_army.xml&iid=24171 page 31 and 32 and http://digital.realviewtechnologies.com/default.aspx?xml=defencenews_army.xml&iid=31673 page 33.

Army loses rising star

Tragedy: Cpl Renee Nicholls competes in the Ironman WA where she set a course record in winning in December 2008. She was killed in a road cycling accident while training on the Gold Coast on February 28. Photo by www.fusesports.com.au

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38 SPORT Army March 18, 2010

MINOR Units had a major victory taking overall honours at the 2010 Puckapunyal swimming carnival and triathlon held on February 24, but it was the medicine ball relay that brought the crowd to its feet and gave the School of Armour its big-gest cheer for the day.

“It was originally meant to be a tyre tube relay,” organiser Cpl Andrew Hudson said.

“But there was a bit of an equip-ment malfunction with the air valve tearing away from the tyre, so we

quickly improvised. Keeping a 4kg ball afloat while splashing up the pool proved quite a challenge for the teams.”

School of Arty, School of Armour, and Minor Units (including ASTO, LWDC, HQ CATC, JLU-V, 53 MP Pl, CSI-P and P&EE) lined up in ideal conditions to compete in the first two events of the 2010 inter-unit champi-onships.

Minor Units dominated in the pool and took out the first two placings in the triathlon to finish 14 points ahead of the School of Armour.

The afternoon kicked off with the swim leg of the triathlon. The eight triathletes began with a 500m swim before heading into the 15km bike leg and finishing with a 5km run.

Capt Mark Beveridge, School of Armour, was first out of the water and set up a handy lead only to be mowed down in the bike leg by Maj Michael Johannes, LWDC, who went on to win the event ahead of Maj Jeff Rudd, LWDC, and Sgt Mark Austin, School of Arty.

While the triathletes were working hard, the swimming carnival got under

way with Alana Hayes, CATC, taking out the 200m freestyle open (male and female) to give Minor Units a good head start for the day. Another win to the Minor Units in the 100m breas-troke open by Spr Jarred Goodwin, LWDC, added to its impressive start.

Gnr Derrick Flakelar, School of Artillery, took out the men’s 50m free-style with Capt Justin Dyer, Minor Units, winning the veteran’s 50m free-style. Minor units finished first in most of the remaining races in some impres-sive times.

The final event for the day was the

Chain of Command freestyle relay. Members ranked from private to lieu-tenant colonel pumped themselves up as they demonstrated fantastic team-work and gave spectators an exciting finish to the carnival.

School of Armour dominated the event finishing 10sec ahead of the other teams, with School of Arty sec-ond and Minor Units third.

Swimming carnival results: Minor Units 77, School of Armour, 63, School of Arty, 44. Next event for the unit championships is the cross coun-try at a date yet to be determined.

In the swim: Teams take on the medicine ball relay, left, while Maj Michael Johannes, LWDC, puts in a strong cycle leg in the triathlon to win the event, above centre. Commander LWDC Brig Mark Holmes presents the winner’s trophy, above right, to Sgt David Rideout, CATC, captain of the minor units team. Photos by Di Grant, Boomerang Magazine

Pucka makes a splash

THE 2010 Australian Army Rugby Union (AARU) season started with a number of development activities in Townsville, Darwin, Kapooka and Brisbane.

AARU Vice President Col John Hutcheson said the activities were part of a push to gain and retain quality players.

“The AARU will continue to pro-mote safe and enjoyable rugby in

order to attract the best players, ref-erees and coaches available,” he said.

“This will enable Army to field competitive representative men’s and women’s teams.”

The highlight this year will be the first test match in more than a decade between AARU and the NZ Army side in Canberra on May 15.

It will be a tough hit-out before the Australian Services Rugby Carnival the following week.

The women’s team will also play a number of fixtures that week.

Col Hutcheson encouraged all soldiers “to get down to Canberra and support both teams over the week”.

The focus over the next two years will be to build on the level of coach-ing skills across Army.

Soldiers interested in coaching can contact Lt-Col Martin McKone at [email protected].

� April 15 – Army North v Army South at Rockhampton� May 10 – Development & Army v Terrigal at Terrigal� May 12 – AARU v Randwick at Victoria Barracks Sydney� May 15 – AARU v NZ Army at RMC Duntroon� May 16 – RAAF v Navy in Canberra � May 19 – AARU v RAAF in Canberra � May 22 – AARU v Navy in Canberra

Rugby season kicks off SEASON 2010

Season on: Capt Trent Beilken, QUR, heads for the try line against NZ Army College last year. Photo by Cpl Brad Hanson



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SPORT 39Army March 18, 2010

AFTER falling agonisingly short of a record in the triple jump the day before, Gnr Sean Smith, 16 AD Regt, leapt to a massive victory and open long jump record at the Defence Athletics Championships on February 28.

In winning the triple jump on the Saturday, Gnr Smith missed the record by just 2cm in jumping 12.16m. He backed up on the Sunday to smash the men’s long jump record by 46cm with a leap of 6.65m. He also finished second in the 200m in 23.23sec and third in the 100m in 11.71.

Surprised by his own results Gnr Smith said, “I was not aware of the records at the time of competing. I was just going for my season best”.

The championships were held on the Gold Coast over the weekend of February 26-28 and incorporated the Qld Teams Challenge Event and the Gold Coast Masters.

The other standout performer for Army in the championships was Cpl Rebecca Cristou, 13CSSB. She took home three gold and one sil-ver medal, winning the 200m in a personal-best time of 27.25, the 400m in 61.44 and 1500m in a personal best time. Her silver medal was in the 800m in 2:26.13.

“I was on such a high after achieving my fast-est times for the season,” she said.

“I was just proud to beat my personal bests.“I’ve been training six days a week for the

past 6-12 months running anywhere up to 40kms a week, and I hope to do just as well in the WA State Athletics Championship later this month.”

Other performances of note included Lt Kate Porter who finished 5th overall in the Teams 100m, and was the Defence 100m champion in a time of 14.39.

The 5km was a battle of the PTIs between Sgt Wayne Heath, 2HSB, and Sgt Mathew Skate, 2HSB, with Sgt Heath taking the honours in 16:19.73 just under 4secs ahead of Sgt Skate in 16:23.59.

The Australian Defence Running and Athletics Association will hold the 10km championship at Holsworthy Barracks later this month, with the possibility of an overseas tour to the United Kingdom in September up for grabs. Selection will depend on performances over the past 12 months. For more information contact Flt-Lt Spencer Cox at [email protected]

Hop, skip and jump to win

Airborne: Gnr Sean Smith reaches for the sky in winning the triple jump. Photos by Tpr Michael Franchi


A SYDNEY-based ADF team used military training and experience to take out best-of-class in the annual Chinese New Year dragon boat regatta at Darling Harbour in February.

Comprising Army, Navy and one RAAF member, the Australian Defence Group team (all wearing Navy shirts simply because they were easier to acquire than ADF shirts) beat four other government teams – and came fourth in the A final of the corporate draw.

Team coordinator Maj Helen Lambe, Army Learning Production Centre, said military crews had an advantage over corporate crews because of their disci-pline and their generally higher level of basic fitness.

“Corporate teams are often more interested in talking and giggling than paying attention to a coach,” Maj Lambe said. “But military crews are definitely more used to taking instruction.”

She said the secret to successful dragon boating was for every member to do exactly the same thing as all the other members at the same time.

Nevertheless, to suggest the ADF team was at a particular advantage because they were used to marching in

step could probably best be applied to the Army members.

The Chinese New Year regatta at Darling Harbour is one of the biggest such events around, with more than 3000 paddlers competing at this year’s event.

Maj Lambe said while it may have looked a little chaotic from a spectator’s point of view, it was actually a well-run event. “Dragon Boats NSW have been doing this for a long time now and have it organised down to a fine art – it all just runs like clockwork.”

She said dragon boating as a sport was an excellent pursuit for ADF mem-bers.

“Dragon boating is basically an upper-body activity – shoulders, arms, back – and there’s no impact.

“With 500kg of boat, plus the com-bined weight of the crew, there’s quite a bit of weight to pull through the water.

“We train three times a week on the water, plus gym and cardio sessions as well. So it’s great for fitness.

“And, with 20 paddlers in a team, all working in unison, it is also the ultimate team sport.”

Anyone interested in dragon boating as a sport can contact Maj Lambe on (02) 9393 2553 or email [email protected]. All body shapes, sizes, fitness levels welcome.

ADF’s oar-some winIn unison: The ADF dragon boat team paddle towards a best-of-class victory in the Chinese New Year regatta at Darling Harbour. Photo by Bill Cunneen

Fired up: Cpl Rebecca Cristou, 13CSSB, left, and Cpl Cassie Fien, RAAF, fight it out in the 800m final.

March 18, 2010

GUN JUMP

Hop and skip to victory

Full steam ahead: Gnr Sean Smith sprints down the track on his way to winning the long jump at the Defence Athletics Championships. Photo by Tpr Michael Franchi

TRAGEDY STRIKES

Army loses bright star

P37

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